Puppy Love
by Another Bechloe Shipper
Summary: From a Tumblr prompt. Beca is volunteering at an animal shelter far away during the summer. Chloe is a vet and sometimes brings in found animals.
1. The First Summer

"Come on, Beca," said Stacie, a tall brunette with green eyes. "We need help, and you get to play with dogs and cats."

Beca, a much shorter brunette with dark blue eyes, sighed. "Fine, but just this once."

"Thanks!" exclaimed Stacie. "You won't regret it."

Their pizza arrived just then. Stacie had bribed Beca with pizza to get her to agree to help at the animal shelter's "Clear the Shelters" event that weekend. Stacie had begun volunteering during the school year, initially just to get her required service hours to graduate, but she'd enjoyed it enough to continue to volunteer once her service hours were completed.

Beca was staying with her father in Atlanta that summer, more than three thousand miles from her home with her mother in Seattle. Beca had recently graduated high school and had turned eighteen a few months prior, so she was no longer obligated to stay with her father for the summer. However, both of her parents agreed she should probably continue the visits, especially since she likely wouldn't see much of him when college life got busy. She was scheduled to attend college in Seattle in the fall. Beca's favorite part of spending summers with her dad was having Stacie for a neighbor. They'd hit it off immediately during Beca's first summer with her father after the divorce when she was ten, and the two had managed to stay in touch during the school year. They had the kind of friendship that just picked up where they left off every time they saw each other in person.

The two friends chatted a bit over pizza. Stacie gave Beca the rundown of the shelter's plans for the event.

"The shelter is waiving adoption fees for all of the animals, instead of just the senior pets. We're expecting a huge influx of people, so we need some extra help. And, hey, maybe you'll like it enough to stick around."

Beca shrugged. "Maybe."

* * *

It was Saturday, the day of the big event. Beca and Stacie arrived about an hour before the shelter was to open. Stacie gave Beca a tour of the place and introduced her to the volunteer coordinator. "Hi, this is my friend Beca. She's helping us out today."

"I'm Cynthia Rose, but you can call me CR," said the woman, an African American woman who wore her hair in long braids. "You'll be working with my wife Denise." She nodded toward a woman with brown curly hair and brown eyes. "Stacie said you're more of a dog person, right?"

"Yup," said Beca.

"I was going to have you help Denise. You two can help bring the dogs over for people to see. We keep the dogs in cages, and we have a room where we take people who want to adopt a dog so they can see the dog in a room without other dogs distracting everyone. We always have at least two people in the room to supervise."

"Sounds good," said Beca.

Beca spent her time meeting Denise and helping the woman organize leashes of different sizes, making sure the bins in the room had toys and bones, and organizing the "goody bags" one of the sponsors had donated to send home with the adopters.

Beca stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted a young woman with long red hair in scrubs printed with baby animals giving a checkup to a tiny dog.

Denise looked over. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Beca. "Fine." She quickened her pace to catch up with Denise, hoping she wasn't blushing as much as she thought she was. She figured she'd failed miserably when she saw Denise shoot her a knowing glance.

Beca was pretty busy that day. Just as Stacie had predicted, the shelter was swamped with potential adopters. She let Denise take the lead as she was more familiar with the animals and shelter policies. Just after lunch, a family came in with two children. They'd recently said goodbye to a family pet and were looking to adopt a new friend. Both kids immediately said, "That one!" and pointed to a beagle/Basset hound mix when they walked through the room of dog cages.

Beca looked at the card on the cage. "This guy's two years old. His name is Speckles. It looks like he was surrendered due to a divorce in the family. Apparently, neither party could keep him." Beca shrugged. She couldn't believe what had happened. She secretly hoped the couple hadn't had children if they were able to just "throw away" a pet like that. She opened the cage, and Speckles immediately raced out, wagging his tail. The children giggled as he began to lick their ankles.

Denise handed her a leash, and Beca put it around the dog's neck. He walked nicely into the room, and the kids quickly got him engaged in a game of fetch. Denise and Beca looked over his paperwork while the family got to know Speckles.

"This guy needs a vet check before he can leave," said Denise quietly. "Want to take him?" She playfully elbowed Beca in the ribs.

"Stop it," Beca hissed.

Denise asked, "So, is that a no?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "Of course not."

They let the family play with Speckles for a few more minutes. The kids continued to insist that they take Speckles home, and the parents quickly agreed.

"Okay, let me have you guys fill out an application," said Denise. "Beca needs to take him over to the vet for a quick check. Shouldn't take long."

Beca took Speckles' leash and walked him over to the exam room She saw the gorgeous redhead again.

"Hi," said Beca, clearing her throat. "This guy needs a quick check before we send him off with his new family. This is Speckles."

"Hi, Speckles!" exclaimed the redhead as she took the leash from Beca. "I'm Dr. Beale. Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you before."

"I'm Beca, and, yes, I'm new."

"Well, we're always happy to have help." Beca took notes as Dr. Beale examined the dog.

"Okay, everything looks good, so we can release this guy," said the vet as she finished the exam.

"Thanks, Dr. Beale," said Beca.

"Just call me Chloe," she replied.

"Okay, then, thanks, Chloe."

Beca led Speckles back to Denise. "He passed his vet exam," said Beca, handing the paperwork to Denise.

"And his new family has been approved," said Denise. "May we take a photo?"

When the family replied that they could, Beca grabbed the shelter's digital camera and snapped a few photos. She smiled when she looked at the screen. "I can't tell who's the most excited – the dog or the kids."

The family left, promising to keep the shelter updated on his progress.

"I don't get it," said Beca, after they left.

"Don't get what?" asked Denise.

"I just adopted out a perfectly well-behaved, obviously well-trained dog. Why would someone give him up?"

"I've been wondering the same thing forever," said Chloe.

Beca's head whipped around. She didn't know the vet was in the room. "Dr. Beale, I mean Chloe! I didn't know you were here."

"I came up to grab a snack," she said, picking up a bag of trail mix. "I figure this may be the only break I get all day." She turned to Beca. "So, how did you end up here?"

"Stacie's my neighbor, and she bribed me with pizza."

"So, are you here for a while, or just for today?"

Without thinking, Beca said, "Oh, I'm here for a while."

"Great," said the vet. "I'm usually here once or twice a week on my days off, so maybe I'll see you around."

"Your days off?" asked Beca.

"Yeah," she said. "I work at the animal hospital down the street, but I volunteer my services to the shelter. I can't get enough of these guys. I can't rescue any more animals, so this is my way of helping."

"Any _more?_" asked Beca.

"I have Billie," said the vet. She pulled up a picture of a tiny little terrier mix on her phone to show Beca. "I'd rescue a lot more, but I can't have any more animals in my apartment. Also, Billie is diabetic and she requires extra care."

"So cute!" exclaimed Beca.

Before they could say anything else, several people walked in asking about adopting pets. "Duty calls," said Chloe as she headed back to the exam room.

Stacie walked up to Beca as soon as Chloe left the room. "You're here for a while, are you?"

Beca opened her mouth to speak and then shut it.

"Looks like someone likes the vet."

Beca glared at Stacie, still unable to form words.

"She's here on Tuesdays and some Saturdays," said Stacie, winking. "And sometimes she brings in animals after work."

"Why?" asked Beca.

"Because sometimes owners are shit. They drop their pets off for surgery or whatever and never pick them up. She told me one time that someone left to get their credit card to pay the bill and never came back. The owner left a fake address and phone number, probably gave them a fake name too, and they never saw him again."

"People suck," said Beca.

"Yeah," said Stacie. "Pretty stupid if you ask me, considering we're on the same block as the veterinary hospital. And we don't have any restrictions on the animals we accept for surrender. We also don't euthanize unless medically necessary."

"Crazy."

"So, should I put you on the schedule for Tuesdays and Saturdays?"

Beca rolled her eyes, but she quickly agreed. She could hang out with Stacie and she'd see Chloe again. The vet was way out of her league, and Beca didn't have the guts to ask the woman out. Also, with Beca's luck, Chloe was probably straight and/or in a relationship. The most beautiful ones always were, it seemed.

* * *

The following Tuesday, Beca showed up at the shelter and tried to hide her smile when she saw Chloe.

"Oh, hi!" said Chloe. "Beca, right?"

_She remembered my name, _Beca thought. "Yeah," she said. "And you're Chloe." The vet nodded.

"Hey, would you mind picking up coffee next door?" she asked.

"Sure, I guess," said Beca. "What do you want?"

"Mocha Frappuccino Lite," said Chloe, handing Beca some cash. "And get yourself whatever you want. My treat."

"Thanks," said Beca. She walked over to Starbucks, her mind still in a bit of a daze. She reminded herself that Chloe was probably nice to everybody, and she was probably just really good with names.

Beca walked back to the shelter and saw the exam room door was closed. She gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" called Chloe.

"Beca," she said. "I have coffee."

"Come on in," she said. "Just close the door behind you real fast. No idea if this one's a runner."

Chloe was examining a small dog on the exam table.

"Hey, just set those on the counter over there," said Chloe. "Could you give me a hand?"

"Sure, what should I do?" asked Beca.

"This one's scared. Can you just pet her and talk to her? She's barely let me touch her."

Beca walked over to the exam table. "Do we have a name?"

"They said her name was Molly, but she doesn't respond to it."

Beca slowly approached the dog and calmly greeted her. "Hi, Molly. I'm Beca. You're in good hands." She gently laid her hand near the dog to let her sniff, minimizing eye contact so she didn't scare her.

After the dog licked her a little, Beca gently stroked the dog's chest. Chloe continued the exam and gave the dog her shots. The dog flinched but seemed comforted by Beca's presence.

"She looks pretty healthy," said Chloe. "She definitely needs a bath, though. Maybe we can try at the end of the day. I'm worried she might get upset if we try it now."

"Okay," said Beca.

"Take her to CR," said Chloe. "I'm not comfortable releasing her for adoption until she's had a bath."

Beca put the dog on a leash and walked her to CR. "Dr. Beale says she's healthy, but she wants to give her a bath tonight before she goes up for adoption."

"Thanks," said CR. "I'll take it from here."

Beca walked back into the exam room to see Chloe was on the phone.

"Sure, Steven," said Chloe. "I'll be right there."

Beca's heart sank. She'd figured Chloe had a boyfriend. She turned to leave the room.

"Hey, Beca, do you want to go with me?"

"Go where?"

"My brother Steven works for Animal Control. He wants me to pick up an animal."

Beca instantly felt relieved. Steven was Chloe's brother, not her boyfriend. "Okay," said Beca, trying not to sound too excited about being alone with Chloe, even though she still figured Chloe would never be interested in her.

The ride to meet Chloe's brother was short and the two rode in silence. Beca was too scared to say much of anything to Chloe, and the vet appeared to be lost in her thoughts. Beca wondered what her brother had said before Beca had entered the room.

Chloe parked the car and walked up to a man who appeared to be a few years older and was a good six inches taller, but the resemblance was obvious. They had the same red hair and blue eyes.

The vet greeted her brother with a hug and then introduced Beca. "Steven, this is Beca. She's volunteering at the shelter. Beca, this is my older brother, Steven."

Beca shook the man's hand.

"We investigated a complaint that an animal here wasn't receiving care. This one looks like she's hurt and she's obviously very frightened. This sounded right up your alley, so I asked the others to wait while I called you."

"Thanks," said Chloe. "Name?"

"Holly."

The dog was curled up in the corner of the living room. Chloe knelt down and spoke in a very soft, soothing voice. "Holly? Hi, sweetie."

The dog's ears perked up a bit, but she didn't move. Chloe inched toward the dog. "Holly? Come on, honey. I'm here to help." Again, the dogs ears perked up.

Chloe reached into her pocket and grabbed a treat. She placed it on the floor a few feet away from the dog. "Look what I brought you. I bet you're hungry."

The dog tried to walk toward the treat but yelped in pain when she put weight on one of her legs.

"Oh, sweetie. You poor girl," said Chloe. She picked up the treat and slowly walked toward Holly. Holly looked up. She put the treat down, just inches away from the dog. "Here. Is that better?"

Holly scooted herself toward the treat and ate it. Chloe got a little closer and called the dog again. "Holly? Hi, puppy. Was that good?" Upon hearing the word "puppy", Holly's ears perked up again. Chloe moved a little closer. She turned to Beca. "Can you hand me the leash? Just walk very slowly so you don't scare her."

Beca tiptoed toward the dog. "Here," she said, handing Chloe the leash.

Chloe was able to put the leash on Holly, but she didn't move. "Can I look?" asked Chloe.

She gently began to stroke Holly's chest, and the dog didn't object.

"Oh, no," said Chloe. "It's her front right leg. It's really badly injured. She's not going to be able to walk." Chloe gently reached an arm under the dog and lifted her. The dog was visibly shaking, but she didn't try and bite.

Chloe began giving orders with Holly in her arms. "Steven, grab my car keys out of my right pocket and unlock the car. Beca, I'm going to have you ride in the back with the dog."

Once Steven had the door unlocked, Beca got in the back and laid out a blanket for the dog.

"Here, Holly. I'm going to have you sit with my friend Beca," said Chloe.

Holly laid down on the seat, still shaking. She tried to duck her head under the blanket. "Poor girl," said Beca. "Chloe's going to take good care of you." She spoke quietly to the dog in soothing tones as they drove back to the shelter.

Chloe brought Holly in and went straight to the exam room. Beca grabbed Denise so they'd have another pair of hands available.

Chloe determined that Holly had two broken bones in her front right leg and would need surgery. She grabbed a pill pocket treat and put a tiny pill in it. "Beca, try to get her to take this pain medication. Poor dog must be in a ton of pain."

Beca placed the pill pocket in her hand and put her hand near the dog's mouth. The dog licked at the treat a couple of times before eating it. "Good girl!" Beca praised.

Chloe carried Holly into a room at the shelter designated for pets who needed care and weren't ready for adoption. Beca laid out a blanket and a bed and made sure there was food and water in the dishes.

"Here we are," said Chloe. "Holly, this is your new room. Those bad people will never hurt you again."

She and Beca sat on the floor near the dog. Holly used her three working legs to scoot into a corner of the room. She sank into the blanket and closed her eyes as though she wanted to disappear.

"Poor baby," said Beca, tears in her eyes. "How can people be so cruel?"

"I don't know," said Chloe. "I see it all the time, though. Lots of angry people in the world, and they take it out on the poor, defenseless animals."

"That's awful."

"Yeah, and this one has a long road ahead of her. It's going to take a while for her to trust people, and I have no idea how much of her leg I can repair."

The two of them sat quietly chatting while the dog dozed off, likely due to the pain medication. She was still asleep when Beca left for the day. Stacie was scheduled the following day, and Beca made her promise she'd text Beca with any updates on Holly.

* * *

The following day, Beca got the following text from Stacie:

_Legs: Your favorite vet is coming over after the shelter closes to operate on Holly.  
__Shrimp: Great. How is she?  
__Legs: Holly or Dr. Beale?  
__Shrimp: [rolling eyes emoji] Holly  
__Legs: The same  
__Legs: Dr. Beale wanted to know if you could come by and help since Holly knows you.  
__Shrimp: Of course_

Beca headed to the shelter. She went to the pet supply store beforehand to get the most comfortable pet bed she could buy. She walked into the shelter with the bed in hand. Stacie and Denise led her into Holly's room. Beca put down the new bed and Stacie lifted Holly onto it. Beca felt her heart drop when Holly crawled back into her corner. She felt so bad that the dog had likely been treated so badly by humans that she couldn't even enjoy a nice new bed.

Chloe walked in. "New bed?" she asked.

Beca replied, "Yeah. I got it for her, but I guess she's too scared."

"Poor puppy," said Chloe. "Okay, so I want Beca with me when we prep Holly for surgery. She and I brought her in and spent a ton of time with her yesterday. I'm sure she doesn't trust any of us, but I'm hoping that will change."

Once the exam room was ready, Chloe carried Holly into the room while Beca spoke softly to the dog. "Hey there, Holly. I'm sure that leg feels pretty rotten but Dr. Beale's going to fix it for you. Okay, sweetie?" Holly was still visibly shaking, and it broke everyone's heart.

They laid her on the operating table and the dog didn't even flinch when they started the IV's. Beca stayed right by her side, petting her and talking to her until the anesthesia kicked in and the dog fell asleep. Beca stayed back while Chloe operated.

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Chloe. "The poor dog has a malformed leg. Even if I set the bones, she's never going to be able to walk on it. I wonder if she ever did. I'm going to have to amputate it."

Beca broke down in tears when hearing this. She was sure the vet was doing everything she could, but she knew this would make things even tougher on Holly. She looked around the room to see she wasn't alone. In fact, everyone except Chloe was crying, and she could see the vet had tears in her eyes. She took a deep breath and continued the surgery.

After a long time, Chloe deemed the surgery a success. "It's going to be tough, Holly, but you're going to get through this," she said to the still sleeping dog.

* * *

Beca had grown so attached to the dog that she found herself volunteering at the shelter daily. While she spent time with other animals, she spent as much time as possible trying to get through to Holly. She'd sit on the floor in Holly's room and just talk to her in quiet tones, always looking for any sign of improvement emotionally. Occasionally, the dog's ears would perk up at her name or the word "puppy", but things largely remained the same, day in and day out.

Chloe frequently came to the shelter. She and Beca would chat quietly in Holly's room, always glancing over for anything – a tail wag, a scoot closer to them, etc. Nothing seemed to happen beyond the occasional ear perk.

* * *

It was the last week of Beca's summer in Atlanta. She sat in Holly's room, as usual, trying to help the dog. Chloe had finally decided to prescribe some anti-anxiety medication in hopes of helping the dog relax. Holly no longer shook when Chloe examined her, but she still remained in her corner most of the day.

"Hi, Holly," said Beca. "It's my last week, so it would make me really happy if you gave me a little tail wag or something."

"Your last week?" said Chloe.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in," said Beca. "Yeah, it's my last week. I've been staying with my dad for the summer, but I have to go back to Seattle with my mom while I'm in college."

"I didn't know that," said Chloe. The vet looked so crestfallen that Beca felt guilty for not telling her earlier.

"I guess it never came up," said Beca. "Okay, short version. I was born in Seattle. My parents split when I was ten, and my dad moved to Atlanta. I've spent summers with him ever since. Even though I'm eighteen now, I still came to spend the summer with him. I don't really see much of him otherwise, and I get to see Stacie when I'm here. We've been close ever since my dad moved here."

"Oh," said Chloe. "I'm really going to miss you."

"I'll be back next summer. I promise! And we can keep in touch. I'll give you my number and you can text me. Besides, I want to hear all about how Holly's doing. I bet she'll be adopted by next summer."

"I sure hope so," said Chloe.

Beca looked over at Holly and tapped Chloe's arm. "Look," she whispered. Holly had looked up at the two of them and begun to wag her tail.

Both women tried to suppress their extreme excitement. "Good girl, Holly," said Chloe, grabbing a treat out of her pocket and bringing it to her.

"That's all the going away present I need," said Beca. She gently pet the dog under the chin as her tail continued to thump away.

* * *

"So, did you get a kiss goodbye from the vet?" asked Stacie as she sat on Beca's bed.

"Why would I get one of those?" asked Beca as she packed her bags for the trip back to Seattle.

"You're so dumb," said Stacie. "It's obvious you like each other."

"Okay, I like her, but I don't think she likes me."

"She does. Have you seen the way she looks at you?"

Beca shrugged. "Nothing I can do about that now, whether or not you're right. I'm leaving for Seattle tomorrow."

"What did she say when you told her you were leaving?"

"She said she'd miss me."

"Did you at least get her number?"

"Yeah. I want to know how Holly is doing."

Stacie rolled her eyes. "You two are pathetic."

"I don't even know if she's single. And, as I said, I'm going back to Seattle."

Stacie shook her head. Beca pretended not to notice.


	2. The Second Summer, Part 1

A/N: I realized I did not explain in the previous chapter that Chloe had to amputate Holly's malformed leg. I have corrected it to reflect this. Holly is based on a real animal in a shelter near me.

* * *

_Nine Months Later_

Beca had just finished her last regular class before final exams and was headed to the library to study when her text alert went off. It was from Stacie.

_Legs: OMG  
__Shrimp: Hi to you too. What's up?  
__Legs: You'll never guess what I found out about your girl  
__Shrimp: What girl? I have no girl  
__Legs: I'm talking about the hot veterinarian  
__Shrimp: What about her?  
__Legs: She's fucking brilliant  
__Shrimp: Well, duh, she's a vet  
__Legs: Not what I mean.  
__Shrimp: Out with it, Stacie. Have studying to do.  
__Legs: She's famous  
__Shrimp: For what?  
__Legs: Just google her name  
__Shrimp: Yeah, okay. Later. Have to study or I'm going to fail calc  
__Legs: Ask your girl to help you  
__Shrimp: Not my girl, Stacie  
__Legs: Not yet.  
__Shrimp: [rolling eyes emoji]_

Beca tried to focus on her calculus, but Stacie's texts had made that impossible. She finally googled Chloe's name on her phone.

The first result was the website for the veterinary hospital where Chloe worked. It was a basic profile page stating that Chloe had begun working there three years ago, her degree was from Cornell, and it also mentioned her volunteer work with the shelter. Below that, several news articles came up, and one included a picture of a little girl with red curly hair and blue eyes in a graduation cap and gown. The cap was so big on her head, it nearly covered her eyes.

The headlines blew Beca's mind. A newspaper from Portland, Oregon had an article titled "Local 6-Year-Old One of the Youngest to Join Mensa." Another showed a teenage Chloe in a graduation cap and gown next to an elderly woman also dressed in a cap and gown. It was titled "University of Portland's Youngest and Oldest Graduates." Beca clicked on the article, and, sure enough, it was Chloe. She'd earned her bachelor's degree at fourteen years old while another woman was earning hers at ninety-eight years old. The article stated that Chloe had been accepted to the veterinary program at Cornell. Beca scrolled further down the results page to find an article from Cornell from about five years ago congratulating its youngest graduate of veterinary school.

She had to text Stacie.

_Shrimp: Holy shit you weren't kidding  
__Legs: What happened to studying calc?  
__Shrimp: Couldn't do it after that text.  
__Legs: Crazy, right?  
__Shrimp: I wonder why she didn't tell me  
__Legs: You'll have to ask her  
__Shrimp: I can't  
__Shrimp: Too weird  
__Shrimp: How did you find out?  
__Legs: I went with her on a rescue the other day  
__Shrimp: And she told you?  
__Legs: No  
__Legs: Her brother started calling her "Mensa" and "Baby Genius"  
__Legs: She got really pissed  
__Shrimp: But that sounds like sibling banter  
__Legs: No, she shot him a death glare  
__Legs: He backed off fast  
__Shrimp: So you googled her?  
__Legs: Yeah  
__Shrimp: So, do I tell her I know?  
__Legs: That's up to you  
__Legs: So you're still talking  
__Shrimp: Sometimes_

By "sometimes" Beca meant "almost daily." It had started with Chloe texting updates about Holly. They'd managed a brief walk once her stitches were healed. She'd been sending weekly pictures to Beca, and this had rapidly shifted to texting each other nearly every day. She wasn't sure what it meant, if anything, and she wasn't going to tell Stacie. Her friend would have a field day with all the teasing.

_Legs: She likes you  
__Shrimp: She doesn't. I'm not smart like she is  
__Legs: Nobody is  
__Legs: She asked about you  
__Shrimp: Liar  
__Legs: Nope  
__Legs: Dead serious  
__Shrimp: What did she ask?  
__Legs: She wanted to know when you'd be in Atlanta  
__Shrimp: After finals.  
__Legs: That's what I told her  
__Legs: She seemed excited  
__Shrimp: I think you're reading into things  
__Legs: Whatever you say  
__Shrimp: I gotta go. Need to study calc  
__Legs: Okay_

Calculus was even harder to study at this point. Not only was Chloe gorgeous, but she was way out of Beca's league. Why would someone with an IQ score off the charts want her? Beca wasn't stupid, but school was tough for her. She hadn't even told Chloe that she was only going for an associate's degree. She wasn't even sure she was capable of earning that. She had to think about whether or not she would tell Chloe what she knew.

Beca decided to skip studying for the moment and grab an early dinner, hoping she could clear her head. She sat at a table in the corner of one of the dining halls, eating her dinner. She tried to think about what she'd learned about Chloe. She imagined things couldn't have been easy for her. High school had been difficult enough for Beca, and she'd been with students her own age. She read a few more articles and discovered Chloe's parents had enrolled her in a private school and hired tutors to teach her at home. She hadn't had a normal life growing up. A few articles had stated that Chloe's parents had tried to enroll her in activities with her peers, but Beca was sure it hadn't been the same as attending school with other kids her age.

Beca even found a YouTube video of the Ellen DeGeneres Show when Chloe was ten years old. She'd just graduated high school. She was talking to Ellen about her dream to become a veterinarian. Chloe's parents were on the show, and they'd explained that they'd had to scrape together the money for Chloe's schooling because the public school system couldn't properly educate her. Ellen had gifted the entire family with a trip to Disney World, and Chloe had let out an adorable squeal when she found out.

Beca finally put everything down once she was finished her dinner. She had to force herself to work on her calculus. She decided, at least for now, not to say anything to Chloe about what she knew. If Chloe hadn't told her, Beca assumed she must have had her reasons.

* * *

The next day, Beca got a text from Chloe while she was in the middle of cramming for finals.

_Hot Vet: Hi! I'm sure you're studying, but I wanted to share the good news  
__Cute Volunteer: I can take a short break. What's up?  
__Hot Vet: Holly got adopted today!  
__Cute Volunteer: Awesome!  
__Cute Volunteer: Nice owner?  
__Hot Vet: Yup_

Beca was happy for Holly but sad for herself. She'd been looking forward to seeing Holly that summer. She knew the dog had made a ton of progress, thanks to Chloe's updates.

_Cute Volunteer: I'm happy for her  
__Hot Vet: Me too  
__Hot Vet: When do you come back?  
__Cute Volunteer: A couple weeks  
__Cute Volunteer: Last final is end of next week  
__Cute Volunteer: Going to spend a week at mom's and then go to dad's  
__Hot Vet: Looking forward to seeing you  
__Hot Vet: I miss you_

Beca froze for a moment. Chloe missed her? Maybe Stacie wasn't as wrong as Beca thought. Still, she couldn't imagine Chloe would ever want her.

_Cute Volunteer: Looking forward to coming back  
__Cute Volunteer: Miss you too_

Chloe didn't respond immediately, and Beca needed to get back to studying.

_Cute Volunteer: Have to get back to studying. Talk later._

She put her phone in "do not disturb" to prevent further distractions. She buried herself in her books so she would pass her classes. Her parents were paying for college, but Beca's end of the bargain was to keep up her grades. She wasn't working, so she had no way to pay her parents back for any classes she failed.

* * *

_A few weeks later_

Beca got off the plane and met her dad at the airport.

"Hey, Bec, how was the flight?"

"No screaming babies, so it was good."

"Got your luggage?"

"Yup. I carried on."

"Great, let's go home. I have a surprise for you."

Once they were home, Beca's dad opened the door first and Beca was shocked at what she saw. There was Holly, balancing on her three legs, and wagging her tail as fast as she could.

"_You_ adopted Holly, Dad?"

"I sure did. Surprise!"

Beca knelt down to pet the dog, crying tears of joy. "Oh my goodness, Holly. So good to see you. I think you remember me, don't you?" Holly just snuggled into Beca, relishing the attention.

"I asked Dr. Beale and Stacie to keep it a surprise. I wanted to tell you myself."

"This is an amazing surprise, Dad," said Beca. Holly had rolled over for a belly rub at that point. "Oh, Holly, it's so good to see you happy." Holly continued to enjoy the belly rub, tongue lolling to the side.

She immediately snapped a pic and first texted it to Stacie and then Chloe.

_Legs: Great surprise, right?  
__Shrimp: The best  
__Legs: You're not mad I didn't tell you?  
__Shrimp: No. Glad you didn't steal Dad's thunder_

_Hot Vet: Congratulations!  
__Cute Volunteer: Thanks. I was afraid I wouldn't see her anymore  
__Hot Vet: Looks like she remembers you  
__Cute Volunteer: Yeah  
__Hot Vet: Coming to the shelter tomorrow and Tuesday?  
__Cute Volunteer: Yes to both days  
__Hot Vet: See you there!_

Beca went to her room and unpacked her things, thankful that she'd made sure to keep quite a few things in her room at her dad's. It saved her so much time if she didn't have to check her bags when she traveled to her dad's. Holly followed her into the room and sat patiently while Beca unpacked, tail wagging the whole time.

"Hi, sweetie. It's like you're a different dog now. I'm so glad my dad adopted you." She walked over to pet the dog again after she finished unpacking, and Holly immediately lay down and rolled to her back for more belly rubs.

That evening, Beca's dad offered to take her to dinner. The minute he grabbed his car keys from a hook near the door, Holly began to whimper.

"Dad, why is she upset?"

"She knows that when I grab the car keys, I'm going to leave."

"Can we take her somewhere dog-friendly?"

"If you can find a place."

Beca pulled out her phone and did a google search. "I found three that allow dogs if we eat outside."

"You choose," said her dad.

Beca pointed to the first one on her phone. "This one," she said. She turned to Holly. "Hey, Holly, do you want to go with us?"

Holly immediately perked up her ears and wagged her tail. Beca's dad chuckled. "I'll take it that's a yes."

* * *

Beca and her dad sat on the outside deck at the restaurant with Holly. Several people smiled at the happy three-legged dog. Beca was relieved that nobody asked her why Holly was missing a leg. It wasn't a story she wanted to tell. After a thorough sniffing of the area by the table, Holly lay under the table at Beca's feet, sighing contentedly.

The server took their orders, complimenting the dog on her behavior. Beca and her dad caught up on what they'd been doing lately.

"Freshman year was tough! I got through it, though. I have just under a 3.0. I got a C in calculus."

"That's pretty good, Beca," said her dad. "I'm proud of you for trying. Did you pick a major?"

"Veterinary technology. I loved working with animals last summer. It's only a two-year program, though. But probably two and a half for me since I haven't taken most of the first-year courses they recommend."

"It's okay. A lot of people don't finish a four-year program in all four years for a lot of reasons. One extra semester is no big deal."

"Thanks. What's up with you lately?"

"Well," said her dad, hands fidgeting nervously. "I'm seeing someone."

"You are?" Her dad nodded. "How long? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's only been a month. Her name is Sheila. She also teaches at Barden." Beca's dad taught comparative literature at Barden University. He'd seemed disappointed that Beca had chosen to stay in Seattle for college, but he'd respected her decision.

"Office romance, Dad? I never took you for that," Beca teased.

"Sheila teaches math. Calculus I and II, actually."

"Dad! You're dating someone who could have helped me with my homework last semester and you didn't tell me? Not fair!"

Dr. Mitchell's cheeks turned pink. "Sorry."

"Relax, Dad. I'm kidding. Well, mostly. I'm glad you told me in person."

"I know I don't know much about texting, but I figured this information was best shared in person. So, you're okay with this?"

Beca nodded. "Dad, it's been nine years since you and Mom split. I think I can handle you dating someone new."

"I'm glad."

Their food arrived and they continued to chat over dinner. Beca told her dad she'd be happy to meet Sheila whenever they were both ready. Holly mostly lay contentedly at Beca's feet. Beca made sure to save a few bites of her chicken to give Holly as a treat for being so good, and Holly gobbled them up happily the minute Beca offered them to her.

"So, what's on your mind?" asked Dr. Mitchell. "I can tell something's eating at you."

"I found out something recently about someone, but I don't know if I should bring it up."

"Okay, who is it and what did you find out?"

"You know Dr. Beale, the vet at the shelter, right?"

"Of course."

"Stacie found out she's some super genius. She never told me."

"How did Stacie find out?"

"She went on a rescue with her recently, and she picked up on something when her brother started teasing her. She googled her name and a bunch of stuff came up."

"And then Stacie told you?"

"Yeah. She told me to google her name. I did and it was right there. She joined Mensa at six, graduated high school at ten, college at fourteen, and vet school at eighteen."

"I thought she looked awfully young to be a vet."

"Judging by the date of the article, she's twenty-three, maybe twenty-four."

"She likely has her reasons for not telling you. I think you should respect her wishes and keep it to yourself. It's okay to tell her you already know if she ever tells you. She'll probably be glad you didn't say anything."

"That's kind of where I am, but it feels weird. She and I have been talking almost daily for a while. I feel weird keeping something from her."

"She's keeping something from you too. Just act like nothing has changed. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Thanks, Dad."

* * *

That night, Holly tried to jump into bed with Beca, but she couldn't manage on three legs. Beca lifted the dog onto the bed with her and Holly curled up at her feet. Her dad walked by and laughed.

"What?" asked Beca.

"Nothing," he said. "I just know where I stand. She likes you best. Did she jump on your bed by herself?"

"No. I had to lift her."

"I've been doing the same thing."

"I guess we know who runs things around here," said Beca, petting Holly.

"Goodnight, you two."

Beca texted Chloe before bed, a habit she'd developed shortly after going back to Seattle.

_Cute Volunteer: We took Holly with us to dinner tonight  
__Hot Vet: How did it go?  
__Cute Volunteer: She was so good  
__Hot Vet: Awww...glad to hear  
__Cute Volunteer: And I told my dad I chose a major  
__Hot Vet: What did you choose?  
__Cute Volunteer: Veterinary Technology  
__Hot Vet: Good choice  
__Hot Vet: You'll rock that job for sure  
__Cute Volunteer: Thanks_

* * *

The next day, Beca arrived at the shelter as soon as it opened. Just after she walked in, Chloe walked in with a cat carrier in her hand, looking angry. "Slime bags," she muttered under her breath as she went straight to the exam room.

Beca cautiously walked to the exam room and knocked lightly on the door.

"Who is it?" asked Chloe.

"Beca."

"Come in."

Beca walked in and saw Chloe examining a cat. "What's wrong?" asked Beca.

"Some asshole left this cat in a carrier on the animal hospital's doorstep yesterday. This sweet girl here is lucky one of my techs came by to check on the animals we are boarding. It was over ninety degrees yesterday, and they left her there without even a bowl of water. The poor thing could have cooked in that heat!"

"That's awful," said Beca. "Is she okay?"

"I think so," said Chloe. "Aubrey brought her to her home immediately and then called me. I was just getting back from vacation yesterday. What a welcome back. There's a special place in hell for whoever did this."

"I'll say."

"I'm glad to see you here, though. Sorry for the rant."

"It's okay."

"How is Holly?"

"Great. Adorable. She slept in my bed last night."

"That's cute. Did she jump up onto it?"

"No. I lifted her."

"You need to get her some steps or a ramp so she can do it herself."

"They make those?"

"Yup," said Chloe. "Check online. They have a lot of options."

"Thanks. I think I'll do that."

"Okay, the cat is perfectly healthy. I'll give her some shots since we have no idea what, if any, she's already had. She sure is lucky Aubrey came to the hospital yesterday. I can't believe they couldn't just wait a day and bring her here. People suck."

"Yeah. Poor thing."

"Do you want to name her?"

"Sure, I guess. Let me think." Beca took a good look at the cat. She was a tabby, gold with black stripes. "Tabitha. Tabby for short."

"Cute," said Chloe. "Okay, Tabby. You go with Beca." She handed the cat to Beca. "Give her a good brushing and a flea treatment, and then have CR put her up for adoption. This little sweetheart should get adopted soon, I think."

"I'm on it," said Beca. She took Tabby into the next room, and she had to grab two brushes to groom her because the cat kept wanting to play with the brush. Beca let her play with one brush while she groomed her with the other, frequently switching because the cat kept dividing her attention between the two. Once she was done, she grabbed an oral flea treatment. Tabby gave the pill a sniff and turned her head away, so Beca stuck it in a pill pocket. Tabby ate it, purring away. Once that was done, she carried the cat over to CR. "This is Tabitha. She's been given the all-clear from Dr. Beale," said Beca.

"What about you?" asked CR.

"Huh?"

"Did Dr. Beale give _you_ the all-clear?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "You are _so_ not funny."

CR shook her head. "At least I'm not an idiot."

"What the hell does that mean?" asked Beca.

"Relax," said CR. "I'm just teasing you. We're just all getting a kick out of the 'heart-eyes' you two give each other."

Beca crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I do _not_."

"Whatever you say, Beca."

Stacie walked in. "Who's our new friend?" she asked, gesturing to the cat.

"Tabitha. Tabby for short. Some asshat left her in a carrier without food or water in front of the animal hospital yesterday. Poor girl is lucky a vet tech had to come by that day."

"I told you some pet owners are shit."

"Sure looks like it."

Chloe walked by on her way out. "I'm heading to the animal hospital. Call me if you need me!"

Stacie elbowed Beca in the ribs. "You're staring at her ass," she whispered as Chloe walked out the door.

"I am not," lied Beca.

"Then, why are you blushing?" asked Stacie.

"Shut up," said Beca. Stacie laughed, and CR joined her.

"You're a mess, Beca," said CR.

* * *

Beca came in the next day, happy that it was Chloe's day at the shelter. She was looking forward to spending some time with her. She still figured she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell at going on a date with her, but she could enjoy her company. They'd texted so often lately, she felt like she'd been spending her days with the vet anyway.

The first person to come to the shelter that day was looking for a cat, and, as Chloe had predicted, they chose Tabitha. "We just got this sweet girl yesterday," said Beca. "I've been calling her Tabitha, or Tabby for short. You can name her whatever you like, though. She doesn't know it yet."

The young woman smiled. "I think Tabitha is a good name for this little one. How old is she?"

"Our vet is guessing she's around three years old."

"Just the right age," said the woman. "I want some company in my new apartment, but I didn't want a kitten who might scratch up my things. She's perfect!"

The woman filled out the application. Beca gave the paperwork to Denise to run a quick background check.

Beca grabbed some literature they hand to all adopters and printed a copy of the records from her intake. Once Denise told Beca the adopter was approved, Beca brought over the paperwork.

"Congratulations, Ms. Smith! You're approved!"

"It's Jessica. And thanks."

Beca handed her the paperwork and had her sign a few papers. "Do you need a carrier?"

"Yes, thanks."

Beca grabbed one of their carriers, took the adoption fee from Jessica, took a picture of the two of them, and sent them on their way.

"Bye, Tabby!" she called. "Enjoy your new home!"

Just as they were leaving, a woman with four young children came in with a dog. She sniffled and her voice broke as she said, "I'm here to surrender this dog." She began to cry. "I'm sorry. I told myself I wouldn't cry."

"It's okay," said Denise. "We're not here to judge. We're here to help. May I ask why, though?"

"This is Izzy. My mom passed away, and my dad has been gone for a while. None of us can care for Izzy. We all have animals and kids. I already have four kids and a dog of my own. I tried to make it work, but my dog didn't like her. I feel awful about this."

Beca handed her a tissue. "It's okay," Beca said. "You're taking her to a shelter, rather than just abandoning her somewhere. We'll take good care of her until she finds a new home. I promise."

"Thanks," said the woman, sniffling. She handed Denise a folder. "I have her vet records. I think she's a little behind. My mom couldn't take her for checkups once she got sick, but I didn't know that until after she died. I had to get these from her vet because my mom didn't have them."

"We have a vet who volunteers here, and she's in today. She'll examine her. She's in good hands," said Beca.

Denise had the woman sign some papers as Beca walked the dog back to the exam room.

"Who do we have here?" asked Chloe.

"Izzy," said Beca. "Surrendered due to owner's death. The woman's daughter was so sad to give her up."

"That happens," said Chloe. "Better to give her to us so we can care for her. Walk her over here to the scale."

Beca did as she was told.

"Okay," said Chloe, as she wrote down Izzy's weight. "Let's get her on the exam table." Chloe gently lifted the dog, who was whining a little. Beca gently pet the dog while Chloe did an exam.

As she was examining Izzy's lower abdomen, Chloe said, "She has a mass here. I'm going to have to look at that more closely soon."

"What does that mean?" asked Beca.

"I can't tell yet. It could be harmless, or it could be cancer."

"Not cancer!"

"I hope not, but I won't be able to tell until I remove it and have a biopsy done. I'll have to do that at the animal hospital." Chloe continued the exam. When she examined Izzy's teeth, she said, "She's also going to need a dental. Her teeth are a mess, and that could lead to other problems if we don't take care of them."

"The woman told us her mother hadn't been able to take her for checkups lately."

"Yeah. I can see that. I'm going to take her over to the animal hospital after work. I can do the surgery and the dental there. I have more tools there, and I can send the mass out for a biopsy from there to see what it is. You can watch me if you like. It's a good experience for your major."

"Sure," said Beca.

"In the meantime, you should take her over to CR and get her a bath."

"You got it," said Beca. She left the room to take Izzy over to CR. "Chloe says Izzy needs a bath. She'll take her over to the animal hospital and operate on her there later today."

* * *

The rest of the day was fairly busy. A lot of people came to the shelter. Someone brought in a stray they'd found in their yard, and several other people adopted animals. As the shelter closed its doors for the evening, Beca texted her dad to let him know she'd be staying late to help Dr. Beale with a surgery.

"Ready?" Chloe asked Beca as she and Izzy headed for the front door.

"Yup," said Beca. "I just had to let my dad know I would be home later."

"I don't want to take you away from him."

"It's fine," said Beca. "We didn't have plans or anything. I'm with him all summer. I just wanted to let him know where I was. He worries."

"I think all parents do," said Chloe.

Beca followed Chloe to the animal hospital.

"Hey, Aubrey," said Chloe. "This is Beca. She volunteers at the shelter, and she wants to be a vet tech. I thought this would be a good experience for her."

"Hi," said Beca, as she shook the woman's hand. Aubrey was really pretty. She looked to be about the same age as Chloe, with blonde hair and green eyes.

"Nice to meet you," said Aubrey. "So, you want to be a vet tech?"

"Yeah," said Beca. "I started volunteering last summer, and the animals stole my heart."

"They do that," said Aubrey.

Beca watched as the two women prepped Izzy for surgery, explaining what they were doing along the way.

"Can you take notes while we work?" asked Aubrey. "I'd normally have someone else do that, but it's just us here."

"Okay," said Beca, taking a chart from Aubrey.

Chloe started with dental work. "Okay, I extracted a couple of her teeth that were starting to abscess."

"There, Izzy," said Chloe to the sleeping dog. "That's going to feel so much better when you wake up. Those teeth probably hurt you. Now, let's see what's going on with your tummy."

Chloe worked quickly to remove the mass, taking a sample to be sent for a biopsy.

"Any idea what it is, Mensa?"

"Aubrey!"

Aubrey glanced over at Beca and winced. "Sorry," Beca heard Aubrey whisper.

"I don't think it's serious," said Chloe. "But we should get it checked. The lab is going to be able to tell us whether or not it's cancer and the likelihood of a recurrence." Beca figured Chloe was adding that for her, and she appreciated Chloe graciously sharing her knowledge.

"Got it," said Beca. "What happens if it's cancer?"

"Well," said Chloe. "We won't put her up for regular adoption. She'll likely go to a foster home. We have a lot of fosters who take care of pets that are old and/or sick. Every once in a while, we find people willing to adopt a sick animal, but that doesn't usually happen."

"So, you won't put her down?" asked Beca.

"We only euthanize animals that are deathly ill with no quality of life. As long as Izzy is happy and comfortable, we're happy to let her live her life."

"Oh, good," said Beca.

Chloe finished the surgery, and once Izzy was out of surgery and calm, they put the dog in one of the boarding rooms at the animal hospital.

"Okay, Izzy's all good. I'll keep her here at the hospital while her dental work and stitches heal. Once we know what's going on with that mass, we'll bring her back to the shelter, assuming all is well," said Chloe. "Do you two want to get dinner? My treat."

"Can't," said Aubrey. "I have to check on my mom. My brother is working late."

"Send her my best," said Chloe.

"I can join you," said Beca. "Let me just text my dad real quick."

_Favorite Daughter: Dad, I'm getting dinner with Dr. Beale  
__Professor Dad: Have fun_

"Okay. I'm all set," said Beca.

"I'll drive unless you want to," said Chloe.

"I don't have a car, or my license, actually," said Beca. "I either walk, or Stacie or my dad drives me."

"Okay, then I guess I'll drive, and I can take you home afterward if you like."

"That would be great, thanks."

"Where do you want to eat?"

Beca shrugged. "I'm not picky."

"What do you think of Indian food?" asked Chloe.

"Love it," said Beca.

"I know a place," said Chloe. She drove the two of them to a small place not far from the animal hospital.

After they sat down and ordered their food, the two of them began to talk.

"So, what did you think of your freshman year of college?" asked Chloe.

"It was tough," said Beca. "I didn't get along too well with my roommate, and I struggled with some of my classes. I managed, though."

"Did you find a new roommate for next year?" asked Chloe.

"No," said Beca. "But just about anyone has to be better than Kimmy Jin. You know, I didn't even know if she spoke English at first. She didn't say a single word to me for an entire month."

"Crazy."

"Thanks for letting me see another surgery. It was kind of you to explain what you were doing."

"It was my pleasure."

"Do you ever get used to it?"

"Used to what?"

"Seeing animals who have been abused or mistreated."

"No, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing. It does hurt my heart a lot to see animals in pain, but I think it makes me a better vet."

"I guess that makes sense when you put it that way. How long has Aubrey worked with you?"

"I guess it's been about two years, but I've known her since we were kids."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We were in a children's choir together when we were little. We sang the national anthem at a couple of sports games. We did a lot of little performances at nursing homes and stuff like that, and we always had our own concerts a couple of times a year."

"How long were you in the group?"

"I started at age six, and I stopped when I was fourteen. We age out at sixteen, but I was too busy at fourteen to continue."

Beca knew that was the age in which Chloe had graduated college. She didn't want to let on that she knew Chloe's history, so she simply hummed in understanding.

"So, what about you? What did you do for fun when you were a kid?" asked Chloe.

"I tried a few things when I was little. I tried a few sports, but nothing held my interest. I took dance lessons throughout elementary school. I discovered I liked singing in middle school, and I was part of an all-girls' choir in high school. I even attended a choir camp. Dorky, I know."

"Oh, I would have been all over choir camp as a teenager."

"It was fun, but most people just think it's weird. In my high school, I swear it wasn't dorky to be in band or choir."

Chloe appeared to be deep in thought for a few beats before responding. "I wouldn't know."

"Why not?" asked Beca, even though she knew the answer.

"I was homeschooled. I...graduated early."

"Oh, that's cool," said Beca.

Dinner arrived before they could discuss the subject further. Beca decided she'd let Chloe decide how much she wanted to share and when she wanted to share it.

The two of them just chatted and enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the meal.

Once dinner was over, Chloe drove Beca home. "Thanks for the ride, Chloe. See you next time!"

"Anytime, Beca."

Beca smiled to herself as she walked into the house. "Hi, Dad. Hi, Holly." The dog trotted up to Beca in greeting.

"What, or should I say _who_ has you smiling?"

"Nothing and nobody."

"Sure, Beca."

"I just really enjoyed my night. I got to see another surgery, and I got Indian food after."

"So, is it the food or the company?"

"Dad!"

Beca's dad put his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, I won't pry. I've got to turn in. Goodnight, Beca."

"Night, Dad."

Holly followed Beca into her room. Beca lifted the dog onto her bed and remembered to look online as Chloe had suggested for steps or a ramp to help her onto the bed. She picked a few out and decided she'd discuss options with her dad in the morning. She was willing to pay, but Holly would be living with her dad most of the year. She figured he should have some say in what she purchased.

* * *

Izzy's biopsy came back that the mass was not cancerous, and it only had a very slim chance of reoccurring. Once she was healed from her surgery, she went to the shelter and was adopted within a few days.

Beca and her dad got Holly a ramp, and Holly seemed to really enjoy independently climbing onto Beca's bed.

Things continued in a similar fashion throughout the summer. Chloe frequently brought in animals, usually when her brother called. Chloe explained to Beca that Steven usually called her for the more severe abuse cases as the animal control people would usually euthanize these animals. Beca would usually end up observing Chloe if any of these animals needed surgery. She'd even befriended Aubrey. Both Chloe and Aubrey always took time to explain to Beca what they were doing and why. Beca was thankful for the example, and she felt like she would be more prepared for the classes in her major once she returned to college that fall.

As far as things went personally, the others at the shelter frequently teased Beca for her obvious crush on Chloe. They all swore up and down that Chloe was just as smitten with Beca, but Beca herself never saw it. Chloe was nice to just about everyone, and Beca still felt like nothing would ever happen beyond friendship with the woman.

* * *

A/N: There's another part to the second summer, but it was too long. I'll have the other half posted soon!


	3. The Second Summer, Part 2

One night, after Beca had observed and taken notes on a surgery Chloe and Aubrey performed, Beca and Chloe found themselves out to dinner alone again. This time, Chloe had insisted she "badly needed" a burger. Beca had readily agreed.

After they sat down at the table and ordered their food, and Chloe struck up a conversation.

"So, how much longer are you in Atlanta?"

"Two weeks. After that, my dad and I are going to Hilton Head for a week's vacation."

"Who is going to take care of Holly?"

"Stacie is going to stay with her."

"Has she gotten better about you leaving the house yet?"

Beca shrugged. "Not really. We've tried everything, but she just cries the minute she even thinks we're leaving the house."

"Poor girl. I have a feeling she was abandoned before my brother got the call to rescue her."

"Probably," said Beca. "So, since I have you here, I wanted to thank you and Aubrey for helping me. I've learned so much from you this summer."

"I'm happy to help."

"When did you figure out you wanted to be a vet?"

"Oh, that was in high school. I really liked animals, and I just knew I wanted to work with them."

"That's cool. I really didn't figure it out until last semester. I just kept thinking back to how much I enjoyed my volunteer work at the animal shelter. An advisor showed me the veterinary technology program, and I realized it was what I wanted to do."

"That's not so bad. Not everyone knows what they want to do when they're eight years old."

Before Beca could respond, Chloe's hand flew to her mouth. "Shit. I mean..."

Beca chuckled. "Relax, Chloe. I know."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I've known since before I came back for the summer."

"How?"

"Stacie figured it out. She got a vibe when your brother was teasing you and googled your name on a whim. She texted me and told me to google your name. I saw everything."

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"Well, I figured you had your reasons for not telling me, and I wanted to respect that."

"Yeah. It was weird when I was a little girl. My face was all over the place when I graduated high school at ten. My parents sacrificed a lot to pay for my tutors. They enrolled me in kindergarten at the public elementary school, and they had to come to school to meet with the administration by the end of the first week because I told my teacher all the books were too easy. They ran some IQ tests and the school system basically threw their hands up and said they couldn't educate me. They suggested a private academy that allowed for tutoring. I went there for testing and they put me in ninth grade. My parents weren't going to put me in classes with high schoolers at almost six years old, so we did private tutoring at home. It cost them a pretty penny to pay for the school and then the tutors on top of the regular tuition."

"That's something else. How did you end up on _Ellen_?"

"You saw that?" asked Chloe, her cheeks pink.

"You were adorable."

"Thanks. I just remember getting the Disney trip and being so excited. My parents were really stressed about paying for my school. I got scholarships for college and vet school, so that helped a lot."

"That's great."

"So, you're not freaked out by this?"

"I was when I first read it. Threw off my studying for finals. Stacie's timing sucks. But, I also realize it couldn't have been easy for you."

"My parents tried. They put me in that children's choir I told you about so I could be around kids my own age. When the other kids found out I was in high school at age six, they all made fun of me. Well, except Aubrey. She never treated me like I was different, and we've been close ever since."

"I'm glad you have her as a friend."

"Me too. It was so isolating being in college at ten. I had to have an adult with me in class until I was twelve as if I didn't feel like enough of a freak for being in college at that age. I understand it was for my safety, but it was really embarrassing. I was glad Cornell let me live there when I was in vet school. My parents had to sign a bunch of papers to allow me to live on campus. I was fourteen when I started there, and they actually put me with a sixteen-year-old girl who was starting her freshman year. It helped me not feel so alone, and it was nice to have someone as a roommate who wasn't remotely old enough to drink. I also felt like my face had been everywhere from the age of six when my parents went along with the guidance counselor and submitted my test results to get me into Mensa."

The food arrived at this point, and Beca thought to herself as the two ate in silence. She was glad Chloe had told her about her history, even if it was an accident.

After a while, Beca broke the silence. "So, if you don't mind my asking, just how old are you?"

Chloe smiled. "Twenty-three. When I first became a vet, a lot of people thought I was the tech when they'd come in to have their animals examined. A few people even thought I was lying about being a vet."

"How did you get past that?"

"Luckily, the owner knows me well and was confident in my abilities. She had to intervene a few times, but she mostly told people to let me examine their pet before making any decisions. Nobody has ever complained about my work, and I haven't really had trouble with anyone in a long time."

"Age discrimination is dumb," said Beca. "So, who else knows? I mean, besides anyone who might have googled your name or something?"

"The others at the animal hospital know, and a few others. It isn't a huge secret, but it isn't something I volunteer." Chloe added, "Well, unless I slip up."

"Well, for the sake of the animals at the shelter and the animal hospital, I'm glad you got your degree when you did. You'd still be in vet school otherwise, wouldn't you?"

"I sure would. I may go back to school in a few years to work on a specialty, but I haven't decided yet."

"Like what?"

"Well, I could be a veterinary cardiologist."

"That's a thing?"

"Totes. We don't have one at the animal hospital, so we have to refer our clients somewhere to get testing if we think there's a heart problem."

"Oh. So, how did you end up in Atlanta?"

"My family relocated when I was fifteen and Steven was eighteen. He was going off to college when my dad got a new job. After I finished vet school, I looked for jobs near our new home. I rescued Billie from the animal shelter right after I got my own place, and I saw they needed extra help. I offered my services for free, and I still can't tear myself away from the animals in need."

"So, why is Aubrey in Atlanta? You met her in Portland, right?"

"I did, but she relocated the same time we did. Our dads are best friends and coworkers, and she and I are like sisters. Her dad relocated the same time as mine."

"I'm sure that helped everyone."

"Yeah, although I think Aubrey had a bit of a hard time with it. I was away at Cornell when my family moved, so Aubrey only saw me during school breaks."

"Yeah, that had to suck."

"It sucked for both of us, but we did our best to stay in touch. I'm really glad I have her in my life."

They continued the meal, chatting away. Chloe insisted that they also needed milkshakes, and she wouldn't let Beca pick up her part of the check when she was done.

* * *

Chloe took Beca home in her car, and the minute Beca walked into the house, she got a text from Stacie.

_Legs: Nice date?_

Beca groaned. Stacie must have seen her leave Chloe's car.

_Shrimp: That was not a date  
__Legs: Sure looked like one  
__Shrimp: [rolling eyes emoji]  
__Legs: No kiss, then?  
__Shrimp: Not a date!  
__Legs: Yeah, okay  
__Shrimp: She told me, by the way  
__Legs: Told you what?  
__Shrimp: About the genius thing  
__Legs: She did?  
__Shrimp: Kinda by accident  
__Shrimp: I told you she already told me she graduated HS early  
__Shrimp: She said she knew she wanted to be a vet in HS  
__Shrimp: And then accidentally mentioned she was 8  
__Legs: Did you tell her you knew?  
__Shrimp: Yes  
__Legs: She okay with it?  
__Shrimp: I think so  
__Legs: Cool_

* * *

On Beca's last day at the shelter for the summer, Chloe and the others surprised her with a cake. It was chocolate, and the words "Good Luck, Beca" were written on it in white icing.

"Thanks, guys. You didn't have to do this," said Beca, positive she had to be blushing. She wasn't big on being the center of attention.

"We wanted to," said Chloe. "I made the cake for you myself."

"Thanks," said Beca.

"Now kiss her," whispered Stacie in Beca's ear.

Beca jabbed Stacie in the ribs with her elbow. "No way," she whispered back when Chloe was turned away.

Chloe handed her a wrapped box. "I also got you this."

"Chloe, you really didn't need to get me anything."

"Open it," said Chloe.

Beca opened the box to reveal a stethoscope. "Thanks," she said.

"It's the same one I use. I know you'll need it for class at some point, and I wanted to make sure you had a good one. I'm very particular about my stethoscopes."

"Thanks," she repeated. "This is too much, though. Really. I promise I'll be back next summer. I'll be back here before you know it."

"Well, you don't have to eat the cake," teased Chloe.

"Hey, I'm not one to waste food," Beca said, laughing.

"Cut the cake and pass out slices," said CR. "You two can flirt later."

Beca thought she noticed Chloe's cheeks redden a bit, but she decided it was just her imagination when Chloe didn't comment. Beca didn't say anything, choosing to just glare at CR, hoping she'd drop the subject.

* * *

That night, Beca's dad took her to dinner to meet his girlfriend. They met at a restaurant near their home. They walked in to find Sheila waiting in the lobby. The man greeted his girlfriend with a light peck on the lips. Beca tried not to flinch. It was weird to see her dad kissing another woman, even though he and her mother had been divorced for nearly half of Beca's life. Beca's mother hadn't dated anyone since the split, at least to Beca's knowledge.

"Hi, Sheila. This is my daughter, Beca."

"Hi," said Beca, quietly, as she shook Sheila's hand.

"Hi, Beca. I've heard so much about you. Only good things," she said with a wink.

The host informed the group that their table was ready. Once they were seated and had placed drink orders, Sheila continued the conversation.

"So, your dad tells me you're going to study veterinary technology."

"Yeah," said Beca. "I started volunteering at the shelter last summer, and I realized how much I liked it. It's a two-year program, but I'm probably going to need an extra semester because I only declared a major at the end of the last semester."

"It took me five years to get my bachelor's degree, so no judgment here."

Beca smiled. Her dad's girlfriend seemed really nice. She stole a glance at her dad, who appeared to be very happy they were getting along. "Thanks. So, Dad says you teach calculus?"

"I do. Just Calculus I and II for now."

"I wish he'd told me last semester. It was my worst subject. I'm in for it when I start Calc II in the fall."

"Well, if you want, I can give you my number. You can call or text me if you need help."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Thanks," said Beca. She added Sheila's number to her contacts.

The conversation continued smoothly from there. Beca told them about the animals at the shelter, trying to focus on the funny stories rather than the sad ones. She told them about the stray someone had recently found. She was a husky, and Beca hadn't realized how "chatty" the breed was. She'd assisted CR and Denise in bathing the animal, and the dog had sounded like a crying toddler when they blow-dried her fur.

There was a kitten who had managed to get himself stuck in the drop ceiling of one of the exam rooms when Beca and Chloe had turned their backs for a few minutes.

"How did he get in the drop ceiling?" asked Sheila.

"I'm not sure," said Beca. "I was taking notes for the vet, and we turned around to continue the exam, and we didn't see him. Nobody had opened the door, so we kind of looked at each other, all confused. Before we could look further, we heard mewing from the ceiling. I had to go get a ladder because we couldn't reach it to get him."

"That's hilarious," said Sheila.

Sheila entertained Beca with funny stories from her students. She had one student complain that she was having class the day before Thanksgiving, and he'd even tried to convince her that she had to order pizza for the entire class if she held classes.

"I should try that," said Beca.

"Don't you dare," said her dad.

"Relax. I'm kidding," she said.

After dinner was over, Beca's dad asked her what she thought of Sheila on the ride home.

"I like her, Dad."

"I'm glad."

"Yeah. She's pretty cool."

* * *

Beca and her dad had a good time the following week at Hilton Head. He took her on a dolphin tour, and he even convinced her to rent bikes with him and do a bike trail. Stacie regularly texted updates to assure the pair of them that Holly was just fine, including one of Stacie lying in Beca's bed with Holly curled up next to her.

Before Beca knew it, the vacation was over, and it was time to fly back to Seattle. She was surprised when she got a text from Chloe on the morning of the flight.

_Hot Vet: Hey Beca  
__Future Vet Tech: Hey  
__Hot Vet: What time is your flight?  
__Future Vet Tech: around 3  
__Hot Vet: Can I come by for a bit?  
__Hot Vet: I want to see Holly  
__Future Vet Tech: Sure  
__Future Vet Tech: I'm sure my dad will let you visit her after I go back to Seattle  
__Hot Vet: Yeah  
__Hot Vet: Okay, and I wanted to say goodbye  
__Future Vet Tech: Come over before 1  
__Hot Vet: I'll be over in an hour_

Beca couldn't believe that Chloe was coming over to say goodbye to her, and she was equally dumbfounded that the woman had come up with the pretense of seeing Holly. She made sure to take a little more time on her hair and makeup while she waited.

Chloe came over, and Beca tried to relax before opening the door. She'd grown accustomed to spending time with the woman, but having her visit the house was a whole different situation.

"Hi," said Beca as she opened the door. Chloe seemed a bit nervous, but Beca told herself she was being silly. Chloe was confident all the time. There likely wasn't a nervous bone in her body.

"Hi," said Chloe. Holly trotted into the room, tail wagging, holding her favorite stuffed toy in her mouth. "That's a great toy, Holly." She gave the dog a scratch behind the ear and Holly laid down to chew on it.

"That's her thing lately," said Beca. "She likes to show everyone her favorite toy when they come into the house."

"That's cute," said Chloe, shifting from one foot to the other. "Care to give me a tour?"

"Sure," said Beca. She took her around the Mitchells' home. It was a modest two-bedroom townhome, perfect for her and her dad.

"Are you packed?" asked Chloe.

"Yup. I keep a lot of stuff here because I've been spending summers here since I was ten. It's usually not all that hot in Seattle when I'm there, so I mostly have a stash of summer clothes here. It saves me baggage fees and time at the airport. I also worry a lot about the airline losing my luggage."

"So, what classes are you taking next semester?"

"Let me look," said Beca. She pulled up her schedule on her phone. "Animal Anatomy and Physiology I. I've heard horror stories about that one. Applied Behavior Techniques. That one shouldn't be too hard. I think I've spent enough time with dogs and cats at the shelter that I am pretty familiar. College-level Medical Terminology, Calculus II, and Introductory Chemistry."

"You'll do great," said Chloe.

"I don't know. I've heard a lot of people fail out of the program because Animal Anatomy and Physiology is so hard."

"Were you paying attention to the surgeries you watched me perform?"

"Of course."

"Well, then I think you'll be just fine. You can always contact me if you need help."

"I hope you're right," said Beca. "I'm really nervous."

"Don't be. I'm sure you can do it."

"Well, at least one of us is."

"I had something else I wanted to ask you," said Chloe.

"Okay, what?" asked Beca, hoping that it was the question she'd told herself Chloe would never ask her.

"Could I come to Seattle to visit you during your winter break? I've never been there."

Beca's heart sank, but she tried not to show it. _Right, Mitchell, like she's going to ask you on a date just before you leave town, _she thought. "You're always welcome, but spring break in March might be a better idea. The weather's better then. I'm surprised you've never been there. Portland isn't that far away."

"Well, that's what happens when your parents have to basically pay double tuition for private school when you're six. I had full scholarships to college and vet school, but my parents were still paying off the loans for private school until just before they moved to Atlanta. The only kind of vacation we took was the Disney trip Ellen gifted us on her show."

"Oh," said Beca. "Right. But, yeah, come to Seattle. I'll show you around."

Chloe grinned. "Great. Let me know what hotels are close by."

"I'm sure you can stay with my mom and me. We have an extra bedroom, and there's no way my mom will let any friend of mine stay in a hotel."

"I certainly don't want to upset your mom," said Chloe. "But let me know if it's any trouble. I can get myself a hotel room."

"I will, but I'd be really surprised if my mom said no."

They had to cut the conversation there because Beca's dad insisted on leaving for the airport.

Beca got a text from Stacie as she was getting into her dad's car.

_Legs: Get your kiss yet?  
__Shrimp: OMG are you stalking me?  
__Legs: I live next door and I saw your girl leaving your house  
__Legs: She stop by for a goodbye kiss?  
__Shrimp: Not my girl  
__Shrimp: And no to the kiss  
__Shrimp: But she did stop by to say goodbye  
__Legs: You two are hopeless  
__Shrimp: [rolling eyes emoji]_


	4. The Next Spring

Observing surgeries that summer proved very helpful in Beca's classes the following two semesters. Beca kept in touch with Chloe, and the vet was always happy to explain anything she asked. She managed to survive Calculus II as well, with minimal help from her dad's girlfriend.

She worked extra hard in her spring semester, especially before spring break, so she wouldn't have to spend time catching up on schoolwork during Chloe's visit.

* * *

Beca and her mother picked Chloe up from the airport, despite the woman assuring them she'd be just fine taking an Uber. Beca smiled when she saw a familiar head of red hair at the baggage claim.

"Chloe, over here!" she called.

"Beca!" Chloe exclaimed. She wrapped Beca in a bone-crushing hug, shocking the young woman. Chloe had never hugged Beca before, and Beca wasn't a hugger in general. Beca froze for a brief moment before relaxing and giving Chloe a light squeeze back.

"Hi," said Beca. "I'm glad to see you, but I kind of need to breathe."

Chloe released Beca. "Sorry. It's just been a long time and I missed seeing your face."

"Chloe, you FaceTime me, like, once a week."

"Not the same."

Beca's mother cleared her throat. "Chloe, this is my mom," said Beca.

Chloe shook the woman's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mitchell."

"Just Ellen is fine," said Beca's mom.

"Okay, then, nice to meet you, Ellen."

"Do you have everything?" asked Beca.

"Yup," said Chloe.

"This way to the car," said Beca, motioning Chloe to follow her.

Beca surprised Chloe by getting into the driver's seat.

"I thought you didn't have your license," said Chloe.

"I got it a couple of months ago," said Beca. "My mom came along just in case. The drive to the airport and finding a parking spot can be a real pain in the ass."

"Why didn't you tell me you got your license?" asked Chloe.

"I wanted to surprise you," said Beca. "This is my mom's car, though. I don't have one yet."

They chatted the rest of the ride. Beca had told her mom a lot about Chloe, and Beca's mom was considerate enough to refrain from discussing Chloe's childhood fame, settling for asking about her work as a veterinarian.

* * *

They walked in and Beca showed Chloe around the house. The guest room was just down the hall from Beca's and her mother's bedrooms.

Beca headed to her room so Chloe could unpack her things in the guest room. A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock on her open bedroom door.

"Chloe, you didn't have to knock. The door is open."

Chloe shrugged. "I just wanted to be considerate."

"If my door is open, it's all good," said Beca.

"Got it."

"We have a week, so what do you want to do first?" asked Beca.

"You're the one who lives here. You choose."

"Let's start with some of the more touristy shit."

"That's so eloquent."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Just giving you a hard time."

"There's the Space Needle. That's almost required visiting. There's Pike Place Market - the original Starbucks is there, the MoPop, Woodland Park Zoo, to name a few. We can also go on a whale watching tour if you want."

"It all sounds good, Beca. Will you have your mom's car?"

"Mom said I can use it if I take her to work and pick her up."

"We could just take an Uber. This trip is so inexpensive for me – all I have paid for so far is my flight. I'm happy to pick up the tab to Uber us around."

"Are you sure?"

"Totes." Chloe ran a search on her phone while Beca spoke with her mom.

"Hey, Beca, can we do this?" She turned her phone toward Beca, displaying a private, guided city tour.

"Yeah, that's a good start," said Beca. "We can look at different things and see what you might want to go back and do later."

"And we're totes going to the zoo."

"Yeah, we should. It's a big, spread-out place. Lots of walking."

"I'm game."

"Can we get tour tickets for today?"

Chloe tapped a few things on her phone. "Looks like we can get them for tomorrow."

Beca checked the time. "The zoo is an all-day thing, so that's not a good one for today either. Go ahead and get the tour tickets for tomorrow, and we can do the zoo the next day. Maybe today I'll just take you around to my old hangouts."

"Doesn't your mom need the car?"

"Not today. She doesn't work on weekends. I do need to ask first, though."

"If she says no, we'll just Uber."

"Okay," said Beca. She went to talk to her mom once again. She returned a few minutes later, dangling car keys in her hand. "Your chariot awaits."

Beca drove them by her first house. "This was home until my parents split."

"Was that rough on you?" asked Chloe.

"It was at the time. Even though my parents assured me it wasn't my fault, I thought it was for a really long time. I get it now, but I was the only child and thought it was my job to keep them together."

"That's rough."

"It was, but it's been a long time. It was weird seeing my dad kiss Sheila over the summer, and it was just a peck."

"So, your mom hasn't dated anyone?"

"Not that I know of," said Beca. "And I think she'd tell me. We're pretty close."

Beca continued to drive. "This was my elementary school. I was glad I didn't have to change schools when my mom and I moved. Middle school is a few miles in that direction," Beca said, pointing west. "We won't be driving there, though." She also swung by her high school. "And that was my high school. I also went to choir camp there for a few summers."

Chloe chuckled. "I love that you went to choir camp. I missed out on so much not going to a regular school."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's cool. I love that you're sharing with me. Tell me more about this choir camp."

"How about I do that at my favorite Friday night hangout from my high school days?"

"Sure. Sounds great."

* * *

Beca pulled up at a restaurant where she'd spent Friday nights for the better part of her time in high school. "No matter what we did on Friday nights, my friends and I almost always ended up here," said Beca as she led Chloe to the front door.

The minute they entered, Beca heard the unmistakable voice of Jesse Swanson. "Be-caw!" He immediately flew to her and gave her a tight hug, lifting her off the ground.

"Jesse, put me down!"

"Beca, I haven't seen you lately. How's life treating you, and who's this?"

"Hi, Jesse. I'm busy with college. This is Chloe. We work together at the shelter in the summer."

"Hi, I'm Jesse Swanson," he said to Chloe, putting his hand out to shake. "Do you volunteer as well?"

"I do," said Chloe.

"Jesse, we need a table for two. I'm showing Chloe around the area while I'm on spring break."

Jesse grabbed two menus. "Right this way, ladies."

Once they were seated, Chloe looked at Beca with a raised eyebrow. "So, what's up with you and Jesse?"

"He's been a host here since our junior year of high school. He's going to community college."

"Are you guys dating?"

Beca shook her head. "No. We dated for a while, but we split amicably a long time ago. We weren't right for each other. We're better as friends." Beca wanted to tell Chloe that she'd broken up with Jesse when she'd realized she was gay, but she couldn't quite work up the nerve to say it out loud. Jesse hadn't been surprised when she'd told him. He'd tried (and failed) to be her wingman and help her get girls. She'd never had a girlfriend. She was both surprised and thankful he hadn't commented about her taking Chloe to the restaurant.

"Is he always this..." Chloe was obviously searching for the right words.

Beca chuckled. "Yes. That's Jesse. He came up with the 'Be-caw' nickname while we were dating. I don't know why I ever let him call me that."

"He seems like a nice guy. So, tell me about this choir camp."

Beca entertained Chloe with stories from choir camp while they shared a plate of fries. There had been plenty – mostly from entertaining skits poking fun at the instructors, ridiculous contests, etc.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Beca asked Chloe.

"It's been a long day, and I'm a little tired from traveling. My body also thinks it's a good three hours later than it is. Mind if we stay in and watch a movie tonight?" asked Chloe.

Before Beca could answer, Jesse walked over with the check and interjected. "Good luck with that. Be-caw doesn't like movies."

"What?" asked Chloe.

"They're fine. I just get bored and never make it to the end."

"The endings are the best part," said Chloe.

"I told her the same thing," said Jesse.

"Enough, you two," said Beca. She handed Jesse some money before Chloe could get a look at the check. "Keep the change, nerd."

"How much do I owe you?" asked Chloe.

"Nothing," said Beca. "You covered every dinner out we had last summer. This one's on me."

"Thanks," said Chloe.

* * *

They headed back to Beca's house, and Chloe somehow convinced Beca to show her old videos from her days in choir.

"Okay, this one has a duet I did with Jesse," said Beca.

"Before, during, or after you dated?"

"After," said Beca. "I'm sure he would have insisted on a love song if we'd still been together."

Beca fired up the video. She and Jesse were on stage, microphones in hand, singing "Friendship" from _Anything Goes. _

_If you're ever in a jam, here I am  
__If you need a pal, I'm your gal.  
__If you ever feel so happy, you land in jail, I'm your bail.  
__It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship.  
__When other friendships have been forgot,  
__Ours will still be hot.  
__Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle dig, dig, dig._

Chloe laughed watching Beca and Jesse ham it up. "Damn, you're one hell of a performer."

Beca shrugged. "I guess."

"Seriously, you and Jesse were entertaining."

"Thanks," said Beca, with a shy smile. "Our high school choir director wanted us to do a duet, and this song just made us both laugh. I kind of love musicals."

"What's that one from?"

"_Anything Goes._ That one's really fun. I saw it back in 2012 when it went on tour."

"Do you get to see a lot of shows?"

"I wish. Mom and I try to go when something we really like is touring. I'd love to go to New York sometime and see something on Broadway, but that's not really in the cards right now."

"What have you seen?"

"_Wicked, Annie, _and _Rent._ I'd love to see _Hamilton_ but I doubt I'll ever be able to afford tickets to it."

"If it ever comes to Atlanta, we'll go. I'll pay for the tickets. That's a promise."

"Thanks," said Beca.

* * *

Beca's mother insisted on cooking for the two of them. Chloe graciously thanked Ellen and raved about her cooking. Once they'd cleaned up dinner, Beca and Chloe were alone in the living room.

"Seriously, Chloe, you don't need to rave about my mom's cooking," said Beca, quietly.

"I live alone and almost never cook for myself. It was a nice change," said Chloe.

"Oh, well I'm sure you made my mom's day for what it's worth."

"If I can't talk you into a movie, how about a TV show?" asked Chloe.

"I guess," said Beca. "We only have Netflix and Hulu, though. Mom cut cable TV a few years ago."

Chloe fired up Hulu. She flipped through a few screens. "_Buffy_?"

Beca shook her head. "Love it, but I was thinking of watching something lighter."

"_Seinfeld_?"

"That works. A show about nothing," said Beca.

The two of them settled in to watch. The next thing Beca knew, she was waking up with her head on Chloe's shoulder. Chloe was asleep, breathing deeply. Beca moved her head away and looked at Chloe. The woman even looked beautiful while she was asleep. She laid a blanket over her friend and quietly walked to her room.

Beca tucked herself into bed for the night, her head swimming with ideas for the rest of Chloe's visit. Maybe she'd finally work up the guts to take Chloe on a date. Sure, the long distance would be tough, but they could manage, right? Beca decided she would ask Chloe out during the tour, and then they could go on a few dates while Chloe was in town. She smiled to herself. She just might have her first girlfriend tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, Beca got up and walked down the hall. She noticed Chloe must have gotten up and gone to the guest room because she could hear her softly talking on the phone to a man. She couldn't tell to whom the voice belonged, but she hoped it was Steven. After another moment, she realized it most definitely was not Steven. She heard Chloe make a smooching noise and say, "Bye! Love ya!"

Beca didn't have any siblings, but she didn't know anyone who made kissing noises when talking to their sibling. She felt her stomach drop to her feet. Chloe had a boyfriend. Beca was too late, and the woman was probably straight. She slowly and quietly walked back to her room, fighting tears that were threatening to fall. She was mad at herself for not sacking up and saying something sooner. If Chloe was straight, though, what did it matter? She spent a few more minutes feeling sorry for herself before deciding that wasn't a good way to spend her spring break. She was going to have to settle for having Chloe as a friend, and she wasn't going to let it ruin her week or Chloe's.

She texted Stacie, needing someone to talk to.

_Shrimp: Why didn't you tell me Chloe has a boyfriend?  
__Legs: Good morning to you too.  
__Legs: And it wasn't my place to tell you about Tom. [puke emoji]  
__Shrimp: ?  
__Legs: I don't like him  
__Shrimp: Yeah I figured that much. Why not?  
__Legs: I don't like how he treats her.  
__Shrimp: ?  
__Legs: He's not abusive  
__Legs: He's just kind of a jerk  
__Shrimp: Oh  
__Legs: Don't tell Chloe I said that  
__Shrimp: I won't_

Chloe knocked on her door a few minutes later. "Beca, are you up?"

_Shrimp: Gotta go, Chloe's at the door  
__Legs: Bye_

"Yeah, come on in," said Beca.

"I guess I'm not used to the time change," said Chloe. "I must have fallen asleep watching TV. Sorry about that."

"It's no problem."

"Ready for our tour today?"

"What time does it leave?"

"In about an hour."

"Sure," said Beca, stifling a yawn. "Let me just get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs in a few."

Beca mulled things over in her head while getting ready. She wasn't sure why Chloe hadn't mentioned a boyfriend. She decided, as she'd done regarding Chloe's childhood fame, to wait for Chloe to tell Beca herself.

Beca headed downstairs and ate breakfast with Chloe. Neither said much. Beca was still thinking, and she hoped her discomfort wasn't showing on her face.

* * *

Chloe grabbed Beca's hand and pulled her toward the SUV that was waiting for them. She showed the e-tickets from her phone and sat in the back seat with Beca, eagerly chattering away about all the things they would see. Beca didn't feel like chatting, so she did her best to just nod along. She was trying really hard not to be upset with Chloe for keeping her relationship to herself, and she was trying to push down the jealous feelings she had about Tom. She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted Chloe to notice anything.

They first stopped at Pike Place Market. Beca posed with Chloe for selfies at the Original Starbucks. The tour needed to move to the next stop, but Chloe made Beca promise to take her back there soon. The tour guide was telling her about the "flying fish" at the market.

They stopped at a few other places – Fremont, Lake Union, the salmon ladder, Discovery Park, the Space Needle, and then they ended the tour at the MoPop. Throughout the tour, Chloe kept checking her phone, occasionally giggling at what Beca assumed was a text message from Tom. Chloe asked the tour driver to drop them at a good place for lunch instead of Beca's home, figuring they'd just catch an Uber when they were done. Beca convinced Chloe to let her tip the driver as they left.

Once they were seated for lunch, Chloe said, "You were awfully quiet today, Beca. Are you feeling all right?"

Beca shrugged. "I guess."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," replied Beca as Chloe took her phone out of her pocket again, giggling at the text. Beca seized the opportunity and asked Chloe, "What's so funny?"

Chloe grinned. "That's Tom," she said. Beca thought that if Chloe were a cartoon character, she'd have a bunch of hearts over her head.

She pushed down the jealous feelings as best she could, trying to keep her face and tone neutral. "Tom?" she asked.

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" asked Chloe.

Beca shook her head, trying as hard as she could not to look as upset as she felt.

"He's my boyfriend," said Chloe, grinning from ear to ear.

Beca swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "So, how long have you been together?"

"A little over a month."

"How did you meet him?"

"That's a funny story," said Chloe with a giggle. "I was at a Mensa dinner at Canoe."

"They have Mensa dinners?" asked Beca.

"Yeah. I joined the local Mensa group recently. I really only see people at the shelter and the animal hospital. My parents encouraged me to go to some of their social stuff. It's a nice group of people, and I like getting together with them. There are a couple of other people in the group who graduated from high school and college early. It's nice to spend time with people who get it."

"Oh," said Beca, her face falling.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," said Chloe. "I just meant that it's nice to talk to people who know how it feels to be the 'weird college kid' and stuff. Anyway, as I said, I was at a Mensa dinner. Tom walked into the River Garden area, and he looked like a deer in headlights."

"Why?" asked Beca.

Chloe began to laugh at the memory. "Because he was totes in the wrong room. He had a work meeting on the Covered Patio. I guess he got mixed up because they're both outside. Aubrey worked at the restaurant throughout her college years, so I knew where everything was. I offered to show him to his meeting. He told me I was really pretty and he asked for my number. I gave it to him and we've been together ever since."

Beca was relieved Tom wasn't a member of Mensa. If Chloe was looking for another member of Mensa, then Beca didn't stand a chance. Still, Chloe was obviously smitten.

"So...what does Tom do?" asked Beca.

"He's a stockbroker," said Chloe.

"Well, it sounds like he makes you happy."

"Oh, totes," said Chloe. "He brings me flowers, and he's always calling me his Brainy Bear or his Little Prodigy."

"So, he knows about your history?"

"Yeah," said Chloe. "I kind of figured that there wasn't any real point in hiding it, considering I was at a Mensa dinner when we met."

"Right," said Beca. Beca was a little hurt that she'd known Chloe for nearly a year before Chloe had told her.

The hurt must have shown on her face because Chloe said, "I know I waited forever to tell you, Beca. I really should have been upfront with you. I've just had people treat me differently when they find out my history."

_And Tom calling you Brainy Bear isn't treating you differently? _thought Beca. "Yeah, you said that."

"But, you never did. And I meant to tell you how much I appreciate that. I really do."

"I admit I was taken aback when I found out, but I told myself you were the same person I'd met. I also had some time to figure things out when we were over 3000 miles apart, so I'm sure that played a part."

"Well, for whatever reason, I'm glad I have some people in my life who just let me be myself."

The two chatted for a while during lunch. The more Beca heard about Tom, the less she liked him. Tom frequently brought Chloe to his work parties and was always introducing him to his clients and his colleagues. He'd regularly boast about his smart girlfriend. Beca could see why Stacie didn't like him. It sounded to Beca like Tom was using Chloe to make himself look better. Beca had no idea why Chloe didn't see it, but she kept her mouth shut about the subject. She'd never even met Tom, so she decided she had to try and give him the benefit of the doubt until she saw the two of them together.

* * *

They went to Woodland Park Zoo the next day, and Beca went crazy over the red pandas, making Chloe laugh at Beca's idea of having one as a pet she would call "Little Red" as he or she destroyed her home. Chloe insisted on buying Beca a red panda keychain at the gift shop, and Beca immediately attached it to her existing keychain.

Beca and Chloe had a nice time for the rest of the week, and Beca managed to keep any comments about Tom to herself. When Chloe showed her a picture, Beca managed not to say anything, despite thinking he even looked like a douche. She was relieved that they didn't have much cell service on their whale watching day trip because it kept her friend from spending half the time texting her boyfriend.

As the week wrapped up, Beca found herself sad that Chloe would be flying back to Atlanta. Chloe seemed equally sad, and Beca noticed Chloe was not her usual happy self their last full day together.

"What's going on, Chlo?" asked Beca.

"It's been a fun week, and I don't want it to end," said Chloe.

"I know. But I'll be back this summer. I promise."

"You're not going to change your mind?"

"Not a chance," said Beca. "Oh, and that reminds me of something. I have a favor to ask."

"Name it."

"My advisor wants a veterinarian to sign off on the volunteer work I've been doing at the animal shelter. I apparently can earn some credits for helping you and Aubrey."

"Of course. Why did you wait so long to ask?"

"I was so focused on making sure you had a good time, I kind of forgot. I'll go get the paper and be right back."

Beca headed up to her room to grab the paperwork for Chloe to sign. She walked into the kitchen and saw Chloe frowning at her phone. She typed something and then locked the screen and put it back in her pocket.

"Here it is," Beca said, placing the paper on the table by Chloe.

As Beca took her seat again across from Chloe, she noticed the woman wiping tears from her eyes.

"Chloe? Are you okay?"

Chloe sniffled. "It's stupid."

"I doubt that."

"Tom can't pick me up from the airport tomorrow. He said he has a meeting with a big wig. Who has meetings on a Saturday afternoon?"

"That sucks," said Beca. _He's probably lying, _she thought. "I can ask Stacie if you want."

"Could you?" asked Chloe. "I'd normally ask Bree, but she can't do it. And she's already watching Billie for me."

"I'll text her right now," said Beca.

_Shrimp: Any chance you can pick Chloe up from the airport tomorrow? Douche Boyfriend backed out.  
__Legs: Sure. I like your name for Tom [lol emoji]  
__Shrimp: Thanks. Can I give Chloe your number?  
__Legs: Sure._

Beca said, "Stacie is available. I'll text you her contact info."

Beca tapped a few keys and shared Stacie's contact from her phone with Chloe.

"Got it. Thanks," said Chloe. "I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so what should we do today?"

"It's up to you."

"I think I just want to relax today. Maybe you could show me some more of the stuff you liked to do in high school," said Chloe.

"Besides choir camp?" asked Beca. Chloe nodded. "How are you at bowling?"

"Not very good."

"Me neither, but my friends and I used to go bowling a lot. Let's go to my favorite bowling alley. We can bowl a few games, eat some mediocre pizza, and have a good time. We'll figure out the rest as we go along."

"Sounds like my kind of day," said Chloe.

They headed back to their respective bedrooms to dress for the day. Beca texted Stacie while she waited for Chloe to finish getting ready.

_Shrimp: I see what you mean about Tom  
__Legs: Did you talk to him?  
__Shrimp: Didn't need to  
__Legs: ?  
__Shrimp: He claimed to have a meeting with a big wig when he's supposed to pick Chloe up.  
__Legs: Bullshit  
__Shrimp: My thoughts exactly  
__Legs: Fucker is probably cheating  
__Legs: Or just lazy  
__Shrimp: Asshole  
__Legs: What did Chloe say?  
__Shrimp: She was surprised there was a meeting on a Saturday afternoon  
__Legs: But she doesn't suspect he's lying, does she?  
__Shrimp: I don't think so  
__Shrimp: Please keep an eye on them for me while I'm gone  
__Shrimp: I just know he's going to break her heart  
__Legs: I'll do what I can  
__Shrimp: Thanks _

Once they were both dressed for the day, Chloe ordered an Uber to the bowling alley. The two of them rented shoes and started their game. They threw so many gutter balls, Chloe joked that they should have gotten the staff to pull out the bumpers. They got pizza after their first game, and Chloe commented that it was actually decent pizza for a bowling alley.

The two of them took a walk around the area near the bowling alley. Beca pointed out the McDonald's where she'd worked for a day or two in high school.

"You worked there for a day or two?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah," said Beca, wrinkling her nose. "It was just so gross. I knew I wasn't cut out for food service. I stopped showing up after the second day of training. Cowardly and unprofessional, I know, but I was sixteen."

Chloe sighed. "Another rite of passage I missed."

"What?"

"I lived at Cornell when I was sixteen. I was in a single room at that point and super busy with vet school. Working some food service or retail job at that age wasn't going to work."

"What happened to your roommate? What was her name again?"

"Kelly. She was eighteen by then and lived in the regular dorms. There wasn't another female under eighteen, so Cornell wouldn't let me have a roommate."

"That must have been lonely."

"It was," said Chloe. "Everyone was so much older than I was. Nobody was mean, but they didn't want to hang out with me either. I spent a lot of weekends by myself."

"That sucks. I'm so sorry," said Beca.

"It's in the past," said Chloe. "It's fine."

"I guess there isn't anything you can do about it anyway."

"Exactly. And I'm convinced that I did all this early because there are animals that I was meant to help."

"Like Holly?"

"Exactly. Animal control would have just put her down. She's living a happy life with you and your dad now. I saw her a few weeks ago, and she's doing great."

"Yeah, my dad said you'd been coming by sometimes. That's really sweet of you."

The two of them walked by a park. "I used to play here with my friends when I was little," said Beca. They walked into the park and Beca pointed out the various playgrounds where she'd played as a child. A few had some new structures, but most of them were the same. They sat down on a bench and chatted for a while. They finally ordered an Uber back to Beca's, arriving in plenty of time for another home-cooked meal made by Beca's mom. The woman insisted on cooking Chloe her last dinner of the trip since she'd enjoyed her cooking so much.

Beca and Chloe sat together watching more _Seinfeld_ before heading to bed.

* * *

The next day, Beca convinced her mom to let her drive Chloe to the airport unassisted. She wanted to have her last chat with Chloe alone. She was surprised that her mom relented rather quickly.

"You like her," said Ellen.

Beca sighed. "Yeah, mom, I do. But she has a boyfriend, so it doesn't matter."

"Sorry, honey. Still, he's a boyfriend, not a husband. You never know!"

"Yeah, right," said Beca.

Ellen shot her daughter a sympathetic smile, reminded her to be careful, and handed her the car keys.

Beca headed up to the guest room. The door was open, so she walked in. "Hey, Chloe, are you ready?"

"Just about," said Chloe as she tossed a few things into her suitcase. "Is your mom going with us?"

"I convinced her I'd be fine driving us to the airport. I have a GPS. I won't get lost."

Chloe chuckled. "If you're sure," she said.

"I'm sure," said Beca. "Let's go."

Chloe followed Beca downstairs. She graciously thanked Beca's mom for letting her stay there and complimented her cooking once more.

Once they loaded the car and made absolutely sure Chloe had her plane ticket and boarding pass, they were off.

"Is everything set up with Stacie?" asked Beca.

"Yup," said Chloe. "Thanks so much. I can't believe Tom canceled on me."

"That sucks," said Beca. She didn't want to talk about Tom, so she rapidly changed the subject. "How's Billie?"

"Aubrey sent me a picture. I'll show you once we park. Billie is doing great and being totally spoiled."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"When are you coming to Atlanta?"

"I finish classes at the end of May. I usually spend a week with my mom, so probably early June. I just have to check with my dad and make sure the date works for him."

"Awes," said Chloe.

"Yeah, awes," said Beca, grinning. She was beginning to sound like Chloe and she knew it.

They arrived at the airport and Beca parked the car. Chloe showed Beca a picture of Billie in Aubrey's lap getting her belly rubbed, looking every bit the spoiled dog Beca knew she was.

"That's too cute," said Beca.

Beca helped Chloe get her things together. Chloe insisted she had everything, gave Beca another bone-crushing hug, and called, "See ya later!" as she headed inside.

Beca was sad to see Chloe go, but she reminded herself it wouldn't be too long until she was back in Atlanta.


	5. The Third Summer, Part 1

Beca got off of the plane in Atlanta and headed to baggage claim as usual to meet her dad. She'd only carried on, as usual, so she was looking around for him before the other passengers' bags had made it to the carousel. She was surprised to hear a squeal and then feel two arms wrap her in a bone-crushing hug.

"BECA!" yelled a familiar voice.

"Chloe! I didn't know you were picking me up!"

"I talked your dad into it. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Of course not. I'm really happy to see you. What an awesome surprise!"

"Do you need to get your bags?"

Beca patted the carry-on bag she carried over her shoulder. "Nope. Got all of it right here."

"Let's go, then!"

Chloe drove to Beca's house. Beca greeted her dad with a hug before kneeling down to greet Holly. The dog was wagging her tail so hard it was a blur.

"Hey, Chloe, if you want, you can hang out while I unpack. It shouldn't take me long."

"Sure. I don't mind."

"Why don't you follow me upstairs? We can chat while I put my things away."

Chloe followed Beca upstairs and sat on her bed while Beca unpacked the carry-on bag she'd brought on the plane. Holly followed the pair of them and enjoyed some extra attention from Chloe while they talked.

"So, how was your semester? I hardly talked to you after spring break."

"Sorry about that. I had a couple of group projects to do. Those take forever. I think the hardest part is coordinating the group."

"It's the worst. So, next semester is your last, isn't it?"

"As long as I pass my classes, yes. That reminds me, once the summer is over, I need you to sign off on some paperwork so I can get credit."

"Of course. And you're totes going to pass."

"I hope you're right."

"Have some faith in yourself, Beca. You got this."

"I'll try."

"Are you going to be at the shelter tomorrow?"

"That's the plan. You?"

"I'll drop by and check on a couple of animals after work."

Beca wanted to know how things were going with Tom. They didn't talk about him much when they chatted. However, she didn't want to hear about him either, so she just said, "Cool."

Beca finished unpacking and gave Holly a few belly rubs.

"What do you want to do today, Beca?"

"Are you free all day?"

"Yup."

"Let's take Holly to the park."

Holly got up and started hopping around after hearing her name and the word "park."

"For a three-legged dog, she sure can jump," said Beca, laughing.

They grabbed Holly's leash and headed out, Beca calling to her dad as she left to let him know what they were doing. They walked Holly around, laughed as she barked at squirrels and rabbits along the way, and sat down on a park bench to chat, much like they'd done on Chloe's last full day in Seattle.

"So, what do you want to see while you're volunteering?"

"All of the adorable pets adopted?"

Chloe chuckled. "Well, that's the dream, but I meant what kinds of procedures?"

"I guess I want to spend more time seeing what Aubrey does since she's a tech. I've watched her assist your surgeries, but I want to see what she does for regular appointments."

"I'm sure that would be fine. I'll ask her if you want."

"Thanks," said Beca. Her curiosity about Tom finally got the better of her so she asked, "So, how are things with Tom?"

"Oh, fine, I guess."

"You guess?"

Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. He's been canceling dates on me a lot lately."

"Why is that?"

"It's different every time. It started with not picking me up from the airport after I visited you. Then, he had a meeting with a client. After that, it was a work dinner. I don't know. It's been once or twice a month. When we're together, everything is fine. But then I'm all set to go out with him and he cancels on me."

"I'm sorry," said Beca. _That lying asshole, _thought Beca.

"He says work is really busy right now, so he'll probably stop canceling as soon as it calms down."

_Sure, _thought Beca.

"I hope so," said Beca. "We should take Holly back."

They walked the dog back to Beca's house. Beca was tired and hadn't yet adjusted to the time change, so she told Chloe she'd catch her the next day at the shelter.

She started a text conversation with Stacie.

_Shrimp: I'm back  
__Legs: Like your surprise?  
__Shrimp: Of course  
__Shrimp: Like I'd complain about seeing Chloe  
__Legs: [heart-eyes emoji]  
__Shrimp: whatever  
__Shrimp: I'm worried  
__Legs: ?  
__Shrimp: Tom sucks  
__Legs: Yeah I know  
__Shrimp: He's cheating  
__Shrimp: Or lying  
__Shrimp: Or both  
__Legs: Chloe's been standing up to him  
__Shrimp: She has?  
__Legs: Yeah  
__Legs: I've been trying to drop subtle hints  
__Shrimp: Thanks  
__Legs: Sure  
__Legs: Ask her about Tom's latest work party  
__Shrimp: What happened?  
__Legs: I'll let her tell you_

Beca pressed Stacie for details, but she wouldn't budge. She wasn't sure how to drop that into normal conversation, so she wondered when and how to get Chloe to tell her.

* * *

The next day, Beca headed to the shelter for her usual volunteer work.

CR and Denise greeted her with hugs. Beca couldn't help but notice Denise's middle had grown considerably.

"Welcome back, Beca," said CR. "Glad to see you survived another year of college."

"Yeah," said Beca. "How are you two?" Beca asked, looking directly at Denise's belly.

"I guess you noticed," said Denise. "Baby is due in October."

"Congratulations!" exclaimed Beca.

"Which reminds me," said Denise. "You have litter box duty this summer. I'm not supposed to change cat litter."

"I can't think of a better reason to be on litter box duty. I'm so happy for you both."

Beca cleaned all of the litter boxes in the various cat rooms. Once that was done, she went back to her usual duty of helping Denise at the front with taking in surrendered animals and taking prospective pet owners to visit the animals. By the end of the day, five cats had been adopted, and one dog had been surrendered.

Beca hung around, hoping Chloe would come by before she had to leave. Denise immediately noticed this and asked, "Looking for your girl?"

"Shut up," Beca replied. "She's not my girl. She has a boyfriend. She's straight."

"She's not straight," said Denise. "My gaydar is never wrong. She likes girls."

Beca shrugged. "She's taken."

"Only until she wises up," said Denise.

Beca rolled her eyes. CR added, "I second my wife's gaydar. Chloe likes girls. Nobody was more surprised than we were when she was dating Tom. She could be bi, or a lesbian in denial."

"Yeah, I went through one of those 'lesbian in denial' phases in high school."

Luckily, Beca was saved from having to elaborate when Chloe walked in. Denise elbowed her and whispered, "Speak of the devil."

Beca elbowed her back and hissed, "Shut up."

Chloe didn't seem to notice this exchange. "Hi, Beca. How were things today?"

"Five adoptions and one surrender," said Beca.

"Do I need to check on the surrender?" asked Chloe.

"Not today," said Beca.

"Great," said Chloe. "Want to follow me on my rounds? It will be good for your class."

"Sure," said Beca. She looked over at Denise and CR, both of whom were making kissy faces at her. She shot them a glare and was thankful Chloe had her back turned.

Beca followed Chloe as she checked a bandage on an injured stray dog someone had brought to the shelter recently, checked stitches on a stray cat someone else had brought in after she'd gotten into a fight with their cat, and gave a dose of medication to a dog with an ear infection. "Remind me to have Aubrey show you how to clean their ears. I'm sure they went over it in class, but you can watch her do it in person. She's going to join me here tomorrow."

"Thanks," said Beca. "That's going to help a lot."

"I want to help you."

"I know I've said it before, but I really appreciate you and Aubrey helping me out."

"We're happy to do it," said Chloe.

"Do you want to drop by and see Holly again?" asked Beca. "Unless you're busy with Tom."

"Not busy," said Chloe. "Was Holly asking about me?" she asked with a wink.

"Totes," said Beca.

The two of them walked back to the front as Denise and CR were getting ready to leave. They gave the kissy faces again when Chloe turned her back, and Beca flipped them off.

"Did you drive?" asked Chloe.

"No. Dad needed the car," said Beca.

"Okay, I'll drive," said Chloe.

Beca brought up an idea she'd been researching for Holly as they rode in the car. "Hey, Chloe?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think about getting a prosthetic leg for Holly?"

"It's a thought. Is she having trouble walking?"

"Not really," said Beca. "I think if she could get around on four legs, though, I might be able to take her to a dog park and let her really play. I haven't yet because I'm worried she won't keep up."

"I can look into it if you want," said Chloe.

"That would be great," said Beca.

"And, if you are able to help me with it, that's going to look great for your credit for the summer."

"That's not why I'm doing it. Now that I think about it, that would be pretty cool."

"Let's both do some research and see what we find out. Have you talked to your dad about it?"

"Not yet. I'm sure it's expensive."

"I wouldn't worry too much. The shelter has a fund for this kind of thing – big expenses for animals they rescued. I donate my veterinary services, so the fund really only has to cover my materials. Well, sometimes the fund has to cover services I can't provide – like checking for heart conditions or neurological exams. I'm sure they'd cover something a prosthesis for Holly."

"We need to find out before we talk to my dad."

"Totes," said Chloe.

Beca grinned. She would have found the use of "totes" annoying from any other human being, but not Chloe. In fact, the habit had somewhat rubbed off on Beca, and several classmates had looked at her strangely when she used the word.

* * *

They walked into the house, greeted Holly and Beca's dad, and headed to Beca's room, Holly following as usual. They sat on Beca's bed and chatted for a bit, this time on a different topic.

"Beca, can I ask you something?" asked Chloe.

"Shoot," said Beca.

"What would you say if someone told you I was too pretty to be smart?"

"I'd rip them a new asshole. Why?"

Chloe shook her head. "It's stupid."

"Tell me."

"I went to a party with Tom's coworkers. He was telling this guy who went by the name Bumper about my child prodigy story. I hate when he does that because the whole thing makes me feel like a huge weirdo. But the guy did ask why he called me his Little Prodigy. Anyway, Bumper made this ridiculous comment about how I was too pretty to be smart. Tom didn't even say anything to him. He just laughed along with him. I barely spoke to him the rest of the night, and I don't know that he noticed or cared."

"That sucks." Beca figured this must have been what Stacie had been talking about, although if the silent treatment was Chloe's way of standing up to him, that obviously wasn't going to work. "Did you say something to him later?"

"Ummm...not exactly with words at first. He finally got an inkling that I was upset when I wouldn't let him touch me. He went to kiss me and I turned my head away."

"Can't blame you there."

"When I finally told him why I was upset, he said I was too sensitive and I was being an ice queen."

Beca was seeing red at this point. Nobody deserved to be treated like that. "You weren't," she replied, doing her best to keep her tone even and her anger in check.

"I guess he was just mad he knew he wasn't getting laid. Are all guys like that?"

"I wouldn't know."

"But, you dated Jesse."

Beca sighed. "I did, but we never had sex."

"Oh, I just assumed-"

Beca cut Chloe off. "It's okay. We were together for a while, but that never happened. It was why we ended up splitting."

"I thought you said you split amicably."

"We did," said Beca. She walked over and shut the door, lowering her voice so her father wouldn't hear her. "We got really, really close to it one night. By that, I mean clothing was off, the condom was on, and I couldn't go through with it. I realized I wanted no parts of that. I didn't want to have sex with Jesse, or any guy. Ever. I'm gay, Chloe."

"Oh," said Chloe. "How did Jesse take it?"

"Well, he was more than a little frustrated, but he wasn't surprised either. After things calmed down and we could talk, he said he was more surprised we'd gotten that close before I put the brakes on things. Now he's declared himself my wingman. It has yet to get me any dates, though."

"So, you've never had a girlfriend?"

Beca shook her head. "Never so much as been on a date with anyone other than Jesse. I'm twenty years old, and I feel like such a freak."

"Well, if you're a freak, then so am I."

"What?"

"Tom is the first guy I've dated. And that was just after I turned twenty-four. I've kissed a girl once, but I never dated one."

Beca was shocked. How could someone that attractive have her first date at twenty-four years old? "I'm surprised to hear that."

"Keep in mind, I was a lot younger than my classmates in college and vet school. I was serious jail bait."

"Right."

"It wasn't so bad in vet school. I had my roommate. She was only two years older. But things got weird toward the end of my second year of vet school."

"Why?"

"Because neither of us had ever been kissed. So we kissed each other. And then I kind of got into it, but she didn't like it. She could have continued to room with me after that year, but she used the fact that she was about to turn eighteen as an excuse to live in the regular dorms."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. At least I figured out I liked girls."

Beca chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Chloe asked, sounding hurt.

"Sorry, it's just…"

"What?" Chloe looked even more upset.

"CR and Denise said their gaydar is never wrong. They've been trying to tell me you like girls."

"Oh," said Chloe, her expression softening. "I guess their gaydar works on bi girls."

"Apparently."

"So, why were they talking about that?"

Beca panicked for a moment. Even though Tom was being an asshole, he was still Chloe's boyfriend. She was definitely not going to tell Chloe she was interested.

"We were just talking."

"About my sexuality?"

"About _everyone's _sexuality. They figured me out really quick. Too bad I don't have gaydar." So Beca had fibbed a little, but she wasn't going to tell Chloe that everyone at the shelter was teasing her about her obvious crush on Chloe.

"I don't either."

"So, you didn't know I'm gay?"

"Nope."

"Okay, well, here's a pro tip," said Beca, pointing to her feet. "Notice the Converse shoes? And remember how many flannels I wore on spring break in Seattle?" Chloe nodded. "Dead giveaways. I have yet to meet a straight girl who dresses like that. I suppose there could be, but I've never met any."

"So, Jesse's a lousy wingman, is he?"

"The worst. He keeps trying to set me up with straight girls," said Beca with a laugh. "But he tries and I love him as a friend anyway."

"Are you hungry for dinner?" asked Chloe.

"Yes."

"Want to hit up that Indian place?"

"Definitely. My dad doesn't like Indian, so I never get to eat it when I'm here."

As Beca followed Chloe to her car, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She checked her text real quick when Chloe wasn't looking.

_Legs: Enjoy your date [kissy emoji]  
__Shrimp: Not a date_

Beca would have texted more, but she wasn't about to tell Chloe what Stacie had texted.

Beca wanted to talk more about the situation with Tom, but she decided against it. They'd had enough serious discussions for one evening. They ended up sharing college stories over the meal. Chloe had quite a sense of humor about being a young student.

"There was this biology professor who didn't realize that _I_ was the student in his class in my sophomore year. Remember, I was eleven at the time. My parents had my next-door neighbor accompany me to class. She was retired and my parents both had to work while I was in school. The first day of class, this professor turns to my neighbor and says, 'Ma'am, I'll allow it just this once, but, in the future, please find other arrangements for your granddaughter while you're in class.'"

"What happened?"

"I took offense and let him have it. I stood up and said, 'Excuse me, but _I'm_ your student, not my neighbor here. This is Grace, and she's accompanying me to class because the University of Portland won't let me attend class without a chaperone.'"

"You didn't!"

"I did! He was the only professor who ever did that, so I guess word got around. Anyway, several of my classmates applauded me for telling him off. I even took a bow before sitting back down."

"How did you do in the class?"

"I got an A."

"You showed him."

"Damn right I did. But I was pretty lucky, at least from an academic standpoint. Most professors treated me like a normal student, and I'm grateful for that. Getting together for group projects was tough, but my parents were actually happy to have my classmates come to the house. It was usually quieter than a lot of the dorm buildings, and obviously never crowded like the library."

They chatted for the rest of the evening, neither one of them bringing up Tom as a topic of discussion. Chloe drove Beca home, and Beca got a text from Stacie.

_Legs: [kissy face emoji]  
__Shrimp: [rolling eyes emoji]  
__Legs: Seriously, how was dinner?  
__Shrimp: Nice. Lots of good conversation  
__Legs: She tell you the latest on Tom?  
__Shrimp: The asshole coworker, yes  
__Legs: That's the story  
__Shrimp: Thanks for helping her get the guts to stand up for herself  
__Legs: Sure._

* * *

The next day, Chloe and Aubrey joined Beca at the shelter. Aubrey showed Beca how to clean the ears of the surrendered cat from the the day before. Aubrey did one ear and then she let Beca do the other one. Beca considered herself fortunate the cat didn't seem to mind at all.

"Great start, Beca. You lucked out with an easy one, though."

"Yeah, I'm sure. What do you do when they fight you?"

"We usually have a few other techs in to help restrain them."

"That makes sense."

"Have they shown you safe techniques yet?"

"One or two."

"I'll show you some over the summer."

"Thanks."

The day continued with Beca following Chloe and Aubrey as they attended to the needs of the animals in the shelter, performed intake exams on the new animals surrendered or found. Chloe and Aubrey continued to explain what they were doing and why they were doing it, and Beca felt like she'd learned a lot in just that one day.

Just as the day was ending, Chloe got a call from her brother Steven. He was on his way with a dog he'd found on the streets in dire need of medical treatment.

As soon as he came in, Chloe, Beca, and Aubrey took him to the exam room. There were no tags or a collar. They scanned him for a microchip, but they didn't find one.

"Aubrey, we need to take him to our office. He needs surgery immediately, and I have more tools there. Beca, you come too."

Beca followed the two of them with the dog on a leash. He was whimpering, but he walked nicely on his leash for her.

Aubrey started the IV's to put the dog under. Beca helped restrain him using a hold Aubrey showed her.

Chloe began to work. "He has multiple fractures in his jaw. I'm going to do the best I can to repair it, but he's not going to have use of it for a long time. I'll need to insert a feeding tube as well."

"Poor little guy," said Beca. "How do you think it happened?"

"No idea," said Chloe. "It could be abuse, neglect, or an accident. There's really no way to tell. He's going to have a long road, but I'm pretty sure I can help him."

Once Chloe repaired his jaw and inserted a feeding tube, Aubrey and Beca helped her tape his muzzle shut.

"Hey, Beca, why don't you name him?"

Beca thought for a moment. "Franky."

"Why Franky?"

Beca shrugged. "He just looks like a 'Franky'."

"Well, then, Franky it is," said Chloe.

"Let me show you how to do a tube feed," said Aubrey. "I bet they didn't cover this in class."

"Definitely not," said Beca.

"He's pretty underweight," said Aubrey. "So we're going to use some puppy formula for now to get some calories into him. I'm going to put a little pain medication in there as well."

Once Franky woke up, he looked over at the three women, tail wagging. "Hey, Franky," said Beca. "It looks like you're feeling better already." He continued to thump his tail.

Chloe invited Aubrey and Beca to her apartment for pizza. Everything had gone pretty late, and they were all very hungry.

While they were eating pizza, Chloe and Aubrey entertained Beca with stories from their days in the children's choir. Chloe had been six when she joined, and the director hadn't been aware that the girl was in the ninth grade. She corrected his spelling during the first practice, and he hadn't believed her. He'd complained to her mother when she'd come to pick up Chloe from practice, and the woman had confirmed her daughter's correct spelling of the word. He had commented that he was amazed that such a big word came out of such a small girl, only to have Chloe speak up and say, "Well, I _am_ in high school."

Aubrey said, "I can still see the look on his face when Chloe's mom told him she wasn't joking!"

"I can imagine," said Beca. "What was the word?"

"Arpeggio. He left out one of the G's."

"You'd think a choir director would know that," said Beca.

"He was a horrible speller," said Chloe. "I corrected his spelling a lot, and he never questioned me after that day."

Weeks went by. Beca spent a lot of time working with Chloe and Aubrey, usually at the shelter, but sometimes at the animal hospital. Franky improved quickly. He rapidly gained weight, and he'd transitioned to tube feeds of blended dog food, rather than puppy formula. He continued to have a sweet disposition, always happily thumping his tail when someone entered the room.

Chloe seemed increasingly unhappy in her relationship with Tom. She was always venting to Beca about Tom canceling a date, or bragging about her intelligence to anyone in earshot. Beca was nearly certain Tom was cheating, but she couldn't tell Chloe. She simply offered a listening ear when Chloe needed to vent.

* * *

A/N: Apologies for the delay in updating. I haven't abandoned the story. Life has gotten in the way. Updates will be less frequent, but they will happen!


	6. The Third Summer, Part 2

After a few more weeks, Chloe x-rayed Franky's jaw and saw it had finally healed. She removed the tape from his jaw, and he soon began to slowly move it. They started giving him small amounts of wet dog food so he could get used to eating by mouth again. After a few more weeks, his jaw strength had somewhat increased to normal, and they began to give him soft chew toys. He seemed to really enjoy stuffed animals. Chloe knew it would be a little longer before she could put him up for adoption, but she remained hopeful.

One day, when it was Chloe and Aubrey's day at the shelter, someone brought in a dog named Rosie. Beca walked her into the exam room for her intake, and Chloe immediately pointed out that something was wrong.

"Beca, Aubrey, come look at this," she said.

"What's wrong?" asked Beca.

"You look and tell me what you see," said Chloe.

Beca took a breath and gave Rosie a good look. She immediately noticed some differences. "Her head's tilted to the left. I mean, her right, my left. Her cheek is swollen, and her upper lip is drooping on that side. Her right eye is different too. She's not blinking that one as much, and it's cloudy. Actually, both eyes are cloudy."

"Good," said Chloe. She shone a light in Rosie's eye. "Her pupil is a little high in her right eye as well. What could be the cause?"

"Nerves? Oh no, I hope she didn't have a stroke. Poor baby," said Beca.

"I don't think she's had a stroke. She's walking fine. But, yes, it could be a nerve issue. We'll have to take her to a specialist. I don't have the right tools or knowledge to properly evaluate her," said Chloe.

"I'll go check and see what it would cost to send her to the neurologist, and I'll see what's in the fund," said Aubrey.

"Thanks," said Chloe. "Beca, help me with the rest of the exam."

Beca assisted with the rest of the normal intake exam. The only other problem of note was that Rosie flinched when they looked in her ears.

"I really hope she doesn't have a nerve issue," said Chloe. "There's only so much they can do with those."

Rosie nudged Beca with her nose. "I think she can smell that I have treats in my pocket," she said. "May I?"

"Sure," said Chloe.

Beca gave Rosie a few treats, and she happily gobbled them up and then licked Beca's hand.

"Sorry, Rosie," said Beca. "I'm all out."

Aubrey came back in shortly after. "Okay, I made an appointment for Rosie to go to the neurologist this afternoon. There's money in the fund, and I got the clinic to cut the price since she's a shelter pup."

"You are awesome!" exclaimed Chloe. "Beca, you should go with her. It's a good thing for you to see."

"Thanks. I'd love to."

* * *

Beca got into Aubrey's car after they'd secured Rosie in her backseat.

"So, you're Chloe's best friend, right?" asked Beca.

"Since we were six," said Aubrey.

"What do you think of Tom?"

"I think he's an asshole and he doesn't deserve someone like Chloe."

"Don't hold back, Aubrey, tell me how you really feel," said Beca, chuckling.

"You asked."

"I did," said Beca. "I'm worried he's going to break her heart."

"Me too," said Aubrey. "I've tried to tell her to dump him, but she won't listen."

"I've done my best to hold my tongue," said Beca. "It's tough. I don't think Tom cares about her at all."

"Neither do I. He just likes having someone to brag about. He won't stop, even though she's told him she doesn't like it."

"I don't even know how he thinks that dating Chloe is going to make him look good."

"Got me," said Aubrey.

They pulled up to the veterinary neurologist's office just then. They took Rosie in for her exam. Beca made several notes about what she saw, knowing she wouldn't likely get an opportunity to see an exam like this again while she was in school.

After a while, the neurologist came back to the exam room with surprising news to share. She smiled and said, "Well, I don't think anything is wrong with Rosie's nerves or her brain. It's a middle ear infection and a rather nasty one. I'll prescribe her some antibiotics, and that should clear it right up."

Aubrey took the prescription from the neurologist. "I think we have these at the animal hospital," she said. "I'll show Chloe when we get back."

"Is it okay if I text her with the good news while you drive?"

"Great idea," said Aubrey. "If there isn't any at the clinic, then we can drop this script off at a drive-through pharmacy. I can grab it after we drop her back at the shelter."

Beca texted Chloe with the information. She got a reply back a few minutes later that they did, in fact, have the antibiotics at the animal hospital. She asked them to bring Rosie to the animal hospital to meet them so she could fill the prescription and get her medication immediately.

"So, you really don't think we can do anything about Tom?" asked Beca while they drove back.

"No," said Aubrey. "I've been trying to talk some sense into Chloe for months."

"Why doesn't she see Tom for who he is?"

"Did she tell you anything about her dating history?" asked Aubrey.

"Pretty much everything."

"So, you know Tom is her first boyfriend, then?"

"Yes."

"She was so happy to have a significant other that she's ignoring all the obvious signs."

"That he's cheating?"

"You think so too?"

"Nobody has _that_ many work meetings on evenings and weekends."

They pulled up to the animal hospital, and Aubrey handed the receptionist the script. She told them that Chloe was waiting for them in an exam room. They walked in and Rosie wagged her tail as soon as she saw Chloe. The vet gave the dog treats while they waited for the receptionist to bring over the pills.

As soon as the receptionist came in with the pills, Chloe put one in a pill pocket. Rosie happily took the pill. "Good girl, Rosie. You're going to feel so much better once this medicine works." Rosie continued to wag her tail.

* * *

The next day, Beca was volunteering at the shelter as usual. She had just finished the evening's litter box scooping when Chloe came in to check up on Rosie and Franky and a few other animals that needed to be medically cleared before being put up for adoption.

"Hey, Becs."

"Hey, Chlo."

"I'm going to check up on the animals really quickly. I'm going to see Tom tonight."

Beca tried not to roll her eyes in front of Chloe at the mention of Tom. She didn't even want to ask what they had planned. "Okay. Want some help?"

"Sure," said Chloe.

Beca followed her as she checked up on all of the animals. "Rosie looks better, doesn't she?" asked Beca.

"Totes," said Chloe. "I want her to finish up the antibiotics before I clear her for adoption, though. I just want to make sure she's totally fine."

"Good idea," said Beca. "Franky is doing well."

"Looks like it. I'm going to get some puppy chews for him to work on next. I want to make sure he's strong enough for regular food before I clear him."

"I have Dad's car and can stop at a pet shop. Want me to pick some up?"

"Great," said Chloe. "Keep the receipt and get reimbursed."

"My donation," said Beca. "I want to help him."

"Don't go broke doing it," said Chloe.

"I won't," said Beca.

Chloe checked on a few other animals before telling everyone goodnight. Beca could hear her on the phone with a Chinese takeout place making an order.

Beca stopped at the pet shop on the way home, grabbing a few puppy chew toys for Franky to try. She really hoped he'd get cleared soon and make someone as happy as Holly made her and her father.

Beca had dinner with her dad and had just settled down in her room to read a book when her phone rang. Chloe's name showed up on the caller ID.

"Hey, Chloe, what's up?" asked Beca. She was surprised to hear from Chloe so early when she knew the woman had plans with her boyfriend.

Chloe sobbed into the phone.

"Chloe? What's wrong?" asked Beca. She immediately had visions of her friend on the side of the road, possibly injured in a car accident or maybe attacked. Her heart began to race as the visions rapidly worsened.

"He's...he's..."

"He's...what? Who?"

"Tom!" exclaimed Chloe, sobbing harder after saying his name.

Beca took a breath to calm herself. She wasn't sure what was going on. "What about Tom?"

Chloe must have finally mustered the strength to form a sentence. "He's an asshole! I caught him cheating! It's over!"

While Beca was happy Chloe was out of the relationship, her heart broke for her friend. "Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry. Do you need me to come and pick you up?"

"No, I'm home," said Chloe.

"Do you want me to come over?" asked Beca.

"Could you?" asked Chloe.

"Let me just make sure Dad will let me borrow the car, but it should be fine. I'll check with him and text you in a few."

Beca could hear Chloe sniffling. "Thanks, Beca."

Beca explained the situation to her dad and asked for the car. He willingly handed over the keys.

On the way to Chloe's apartment, Beca stopped by the grocery store for a few pints of ice cream. The grocery store also had a DVD rental kiosk, and Beca grabbed a copy of some terrible-looking romantic comedy.

She knocked on Chloe's door and Chloe answered the door, eyes red-rimmed and swollen. Her little dog Billie was at her side.

"Thanks for coming," said Chloe, sniffling. "Sorry, I'm not much company."

"I brought ice cream and a movie."

"You hate movies."

"I do, and this one looks terrible. Let's watch it."

Chloe cracked a weak smile and shook her head. "If you say so."

"It will get your mind off of your feelings while we laugh at how terrible the movie is."

Chloe shrugged. She grabbed a couple of spoons. "Which one is mine?"

"You pick," said Beca.

"Rocky road," said Chloe.

"All yours," said Beca, taking the pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for herself. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm so stupid," said Chloe. "And Tom's a lying sack of shit."

"You're not stupid," said Beca. "Tell me what happened."

"He's been working late a lot, so I thought I'd surprise him by bringing dinner to the office. I figured he could take a break long enough to eat a meal with me. But I got to the office, and..." Chloe began to sob again.

Beca put an arm around her. "Okay, just tell me. Get it off your chest."

"He wasn't alone. I thought he was at first, but he kept telling me he didn't have time to talk. I figured out his secretary was under his desk."

"Oh, no," said Beca. "She wasn't...you know...servicing him?" Beca cringed at her terrible euphemism.

"She was. I guess he thought I wouldn't notice. I don't want to go into detail, but...I think she wanted to get caught. As soon as I figured out what was happening, I screamed at him and told him it was over."

"Good for you."

"He told me he was about to dump my boring ass anyway. Am I boring?"

"No way," said Beca. "He's just mad he got caught. Good riddance."

"I just feel so stupid. Why didn't I figure out he was cheating? I'm supposed to be so smart. Everyone has been telling me that since I was little. But I was a fool."

"Chloe, you are smart, but a lot of us make mistakes when it comes to matters of the heart. Come on, I told you what happened with Jesse. I don't know why it took me until that point to figure out I don't really like guys like that."

"I guess," said Chloe. "He told me I wasn't of use to him anymore."

"Of use for what?" asked Beca.

"I asked him that very question. He said he thought my brains would impress his colleagues, but that didn't work. And then he said I was lousy in bed, which is dumb because we haven't had sex in a while anyway. I guess his secretary was better than me. He was my first and he knew that, and he went and threw it in my face. How could I be so blind?"

"Stop," said Beca. "His secretary sounds like a piece of shit if she was sleeping with someone in a relationship."

"It's been going on for a while. All of those late work meetings and stuff like that was him taking her out, and I didn't see it."

"Stop beating yourself up. You made a mistake. You're human. Learn from it. And, in the meantime, eat some ice cream and watch this terrible movie with me."

Beca grabbed a box of tissues from Chloe's bathroom on the way to the couch. They sat down to watch the movie and Billie hopped onto the couch, settling herself between the two of them.

"I should have paid attention to Billie," said Chloe as she started the movie. "She didn't like Tom. I always had to put her in her little crate when he came over. I just thought she was jealous."

"She sounds like an excellent judge of character," said Beca.

"She sure is," said Chloe, putting her ice cream down to stroke the dog's ears.

Once they'd finished their ice creams, Beca soon found herself snuggled with Chloe. Billie had already jumped off the couch and was snoozing on the rug. Beca thought to herself how natural this felt and then scolded herself for even thinking that way. Chloe had just had her heart broken, and she needed a friend more than she needed an admirer.

* * *

Beca found herself on Chloe's couch the next morning. She must have fallen asleep during the movie. The pints of ice cream and spoons were no longer on the table. She saw a note had been placed on the table instead.

_Dear Beca,_

_Thank you for making me feel better last night. I had to be at work early and you looked too comfy to wake. Please help yourself to whatever is in the fridge for breakfast if you're hungry. See you at the shelter later!_

_Love,  
__Chloe_

Beca was surprised she'd written "Love, Chloe." She tried not to read into it and checked the time. She knew her dad would need the car soon, so she decided she'd just better head straight home and eat breakfast there. Stacie had planned to drive her to the shelter that day anyway.

Just as she was walking into the house, her phone dinged with a text.

_Legs: Walk of shame much?  
__Shrimp: No  
__Legs: Where were you?  
__Shrimp: Chloe's  
__Legs: And?  
__Shrimp: She broke up with Tom.  
__Legs: Finally  
__Shrimp: Yeah  
__Shrimp: Caught him cheating  
__Legs: I knew it  
__Shrimp: Yeah  
__Legs: So you were there to pick up the pieces?  
__Shrimp: Ice cream and a bad movie  
__Legs: Good combo  
__Shrimp: I fell asleep on the couch  
__Legs: Did she make you breakfast  
__Shrimp: [rolling eyes emoji] She was gone when I woke up  
__Legs: Too bad  
__Shrimp: It's fine  
__Shrimp: What time are we leaving?  
__Legs: 9  
__Shrimp: I'll be ready, have to get changed and eat breakfast  
__Legs: Ok_

* * *

Beca walked over to Stacie's once she was ready for the day.

"So, Chloe's single now?" asked Stacie, wagging her eyebrows.

"Yeah, for like, the past twelve hours or so," said Beca. "She took it pretty hard." Beca went on to reiterate what had happened the previous night.

"So, you really just fell asleep on her couch? Nothing else?"

"Yes. It was totally platonic. We were watching a movie and then I woke up alone in her living room. Even Billie was in her crate."

"I'm surprised you didn't make a move."

"Stacie, come on. Even if Chloe _did_ like me that way, I'd be a real asshole for making a move on her that quickly. Not that I'd even know how."

"Oh, I could teach you."

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass."

* * *

The day at the shelter was pretty typical, at least at first. Beca cleaned the litter boxes, helped with adoptions and surrenders, and assisted others with paperwork and other mundane tasks.

Once Chloe showed up, things got weird, at least for Beca. She'd been entering handwritten records into the computer when Chloe walked in. Just that very minute, Stacie scooted her chair up next to Beca and leaned in.

Beca turned her head to face Stacie and asked, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Nothing," said Stacie with obvious feigned innocence.

"You're so weird," said Beca.

Instead of taking the hint, Stacie then grabbed a lock of Beca's hair and twirled it around her finger.

"Stacie, what is this? Why the fuck are you touching my hair?"

Stacie shrugged and let go of her hair.

Beca saw Chloe glance at the two of them with a confused expression, but she didn't say anything. Beca went back to typing on the computer. Denise and CR had left early to go to an OB appointment, so Beca told them she'd finish typing where Denise had left off.

When Chloe left the room, Stacie said in a low voice, "You are so dense."

"What?" asked Beca.

"Exactly," said Stacie.

"Out with it," said Beca.

Stacie rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to help you."

"By...distracting me when I'm trying to type?"

"No, idiot. I'm trying to make Chloe jealous and you're not doing your part."

"Jesus Christ, Stacie. Chloe dumped Tom last night. Give the woman a break. And, ya know, maybe _tell_ me if that's what we're doing?"

"Like you'd have agreed."

"Of course I wouldn't because it's a _bad idea._"

Before they could say anything else, Chloe asked, "What's a bad idea?"

Beca sat frozen while Stacie saved the day by saying, "Karaoke."

"Why, Becs?" asked Chloe. "You told me you love to sing!"

"I don't know," said Beca, figuring it was best to play along.

"I think it's a great idea," said Chloe. "I bet I can get Aubrey to go too. It's just what I need to get my mind off that cheating asshole!"

"I'll go if Aubrey joins us," said Beca.

Chloe squealed and pulled out her phone. She tapped out a text and squealed when she got an immediate response. "Aubrey is in!"

* * *

That evening after work, everyone headed to a bar and restaurant place that had karaoke. They allowed those under legal drinking age to enter, but they had to wear a wristband that showed that they were not to be served alcoholic beverages. The four of them got a table, and they ordered a few appetizers to share while they took turns signing up for a turn to sing and choosing a song.

The four enjoyed easy conversation while eating and drinking. Like most karaoke places, some people were really good, while others were just plain awful. Beca wondered how much "liquid courage" some of the people singing had required to get on the microphone.

Stacie was up first. She chose "Low" by Flo-Rida

_Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans (jeans)  
__Boots with the fur (with the fur)  
__The whole club was lookin' at her  
__She hit the floor (she hit the floor)  
__Next thing you know  
__Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

She had the whole area bopping along, and many applauded wildly once she was finished.

Aubrey was next. Beca smiled when she heard the opening notes to Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." She'd spent enough time with the woman to expect nothing other than an 80's hit sung by a woman.

_Well you're a real tough cookie with a long history  
Of breaking little hearts like the one in me  
That's okay, let's see how you do it  
Put up your dukes, let's get down to it_

_Hit me with your best shot  
Why don't you hit me with your best shot  
Hit me with your best shot  
Fire away_

Chloe went after Aubrey. Beca wasn't terribly surprised about her song choice.

_We are never ever, ever getting back together  
__We are never ever, ever getting back together  
__You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me  
__But we are never ever, ever, ever getting back together  
__Like, ever_

"Poor Chloe," said Beca. Stacie and Aubrey nodded.

When it was Beca's turn, she spoke to the DJ briefly to change her song. She was going to do "No Diggity" but chose something else instead. She hoped Chloe would appreciate the solidarity.

_I dug my key into the side  
__Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive  
__Carved my name into his leather seats  
__I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights  
__I slashed a hole in all four tires  
__Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats_

She wasn't sure, but Beca thought she caught Chloe shoot her a wink while she sang.

She sat at their table and immediately froze when she saw the next singer. She was a tall, gorgeous woman who spoke and sang with a German accent.

_The paranoia is in bloom, the P-R  
__Transmissions will resume  
__They'll try to push drugs  
__That keep us all dumbed down and hope that  
__We will never see the truth around  
__(So come on)_

"That's an interesting choice for karaoke," Stacie commented.

Beca said nothing, watching in stunned silence.

"Beca, you're drooling," said Stacie.

Beca slapped Stacie's arm in response, but she continued to sit still and just watch. The woman's voice was as beautiful as her face, and Beca felt herself blush when the woman caught her eye.

"Impressive singing," said the woman.

"Thanks," said Beca, feeling like her face was on fire. _Why am I such a disaster around attractive women? _Beca thought.

"You are so tiny," said the woman. "Like an elf, a fairy, or a sprite. Or maybe a mouse. That's it. I'll call you Tiny Maus."

"You are physically flawless," said Beca. She cringed inwardly. _Great, now it's time for word vomit._

"Thank you," said the woman. "Can I have your number?"

"Of course," said Beca, taking the woman's phone. "You gorgeous specimen." _Why can't I say something intelligent around this woman?_

She put her phone number in the woman's phone and texted herself so she'd have hers.

"I'm Beca." _There. Something intelligent._

"Kommissar," replied the woman. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Your sweat smells like cinnamon!" exclaimed Beca. _Oh god, what did I just say?_

"Why, thank you," said Kommissar with a chuckle. "Goodbye, Tiny Maus."

Once the woman left, Beca put her head in her hands. "What the hell just happened?" she asked.

"Looks like you got yourself a date," said Stacie, grinning ear to ear.

"I don't know how. I'm incapable of saying anything coherent around her."

"She probably thinks it's cute," said Aubrey.

They hung around for a little while listening to different people sing. As the night went on, the singing got worse as more and more people got bolder after a lot of drinks.

When the DJ called someone named Bumper to the stage, Chloe insisted they leave. He was a few bars into Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It?" when they headed out to the parking lot.

"Was that the guy who said you were too pretty to be smart?" asked Beca.

"Yeah. I bet Bumper isn't even his real name," said Chloe.

Beca touched Chloe's arm to try and calm her a little. "Anyone who would nickname himself Bumper isn't too bright," said Beca.

Chloe laughed. "I never thought of it that way."

"Feel better?" asked Beca.

"Much," said Chloe. "Thanks, guys."

* * *

As they drove home, Stacie said, "Well, you did it."

"Huh?"

"Chloe's jealous."

"Of what?"

"Did you notice she didn't say a word when you were flirting with Kommissar?"

"No, I was too busy trying not to die of embarrassment. Why the hell did I sound like such an idiot?"

"Relax. She wouldn't have asked for your number if she didn't like it."

"I guess."

"I wish you'd noticed the daggers Chloe was shooting Kommissar."

"You're serious?"

"Beca, if looks could kill, Kommissar would be in the morgue right now."

Beca relaxed a little. Maybe Stacie was right and Chloe actually was interested. She hoped that Kommissar would contact her, and that she'd manage to say at least a few complete sentences that weren't totally idiotic if they did go on a date.

* * *

The next evening, Beca got a text from Kommissar.

_Gorgeous Specimen: Good evening, Tiny Maus_

Beca took a deep breath. This was texting, so she could actually think before responding.

_Tiny Maus: Hey  
__Gorgeous Specimen: Are you free Friday night?  
__Tiny Maus: Yes  
__Gorgeous Specimen: Where would you like to go?_

Beca began to panic. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to ask whether or not this was a date. She texted Stacie before getting back to Kommissar.

_Shrimp: Got a text from Kommissar  
__Legs: Did she ask you out?  
__Shrimp: I think she did  
__Shrimp: I'm not sure  
__Legs: What did she say?_

Beca sent a screenshot of the conversation to Stacie.

_Legs: Probably a date  
__Shrimp: Should I ask?  
__Legs: No  
__Legs: Just assume it's a date  
__Shrimp: So, where should we go?  
__Legs: I know a Thai place  
__Legs: It's pretty quiet_

Stacie texted Beca with the information.

_Tiny Maus: I know a Thai place  
__Gorgeous Specimen: So you like it hot?  
__Tiny Maus: Is that ok?  
__Gorgeous Specimen: Yes_

Beca sent the information to Kommissar.

_Gorgeous Specimen: I'll pick you up at 8  
__Tiny Maus: Great_

She sent Kommissar her address. She got back to Stacie.

_Shrimp: Thanks for the rec  
__Legs: When is your date?  
__Shrimp: Friday  
__Shrimp: So, what do I do?  
__Legs: I thought you had been on dates  
__Shrimp: Just Jesse  
__Shrimp: That was like four years ago  
__Legs: You'll be fine  
__Shrimp: I can barely even talk to her  
__Legs: So then just eat  
__Shrimp: You don't have any tips?  
__Legs: Use your boobs  
__Shrimp: You suck  
__Legs: Not usually on the first date  
__Shrimp: Stacie, you're the worst  
__Legs: That's not usually what my dates tell me  
__Shrimp: Oh my god, shut up_

Beca didn't know what to think. Kommissar was definitely attractive, but she was also really intimidating. Beca just hoped she didn't end up doing anything totally stupid.

* * *

Friday night, Beca waited for Kommissar. Stacie had helped her with an outfit. She had on a black shirt and red and black plaid skirt. Stacie said they made her look really hot. She made sure to wear high-heeled boots so she wouldn't be so much shorter than her date. She was relieved that her dad had plans with Sheila that night, so she could skip the embarrassment of her date finding out she still lived with her dad.

Beca took a deep breath when the doorbell rang. _Okay, you can do this. If not, hopefully she thinks continued word vomit is cute._

"Hi!" she greeted her date.

"Tiny Maus! I see you have taller shoes. Nice."

"I wouldn't want you to hurt your neck," said Beca. _That was dumb._

"You are so considerate," said Kommissar. "Shall we?"

Beca nodded and followed the woman to her car. She opened the door for Beca, and she got in.

"Where did you learn to sing?" asked Beca.

"I was a member of Das Sound Machine, a German collective operating in concert to create sonic mastery."

"What?"

"We are the World A Cappella Champions."

"Oh," said Beca. She didn't know that was an actual thing. She'd heard of a cappella singing, but she'd had no idea there was such a thing as a world champion.

"Where did you learn to sing?"

"School, mostly. I went to an all-girls choir camp for a few years in high school."

"Well, you're very good."

"Thank you."

They arrived at the restaurant, and Kommissar let Beca suggest a few things. She'd never had Thai food before. Beca suggested a few different options in varying levels of spiciness.

Things got better once they'd gotten their food. Beca finally began to relax and managed to form coherent sentences. She told Kommissar about her volunteer work at the shelter and her studies to be a vet tech. She learned that Kommissar was studying for her MBA at Barden University. When Beca told her that her father taught at Barden, the woman replied that she'd taken one of his graduate-level English courses. She'd had to leave her a cappella group due to no longer living in Germany, and she'd gone to karaoke night because she missed singing.

After they'd finished their dinner, Kommissar surprised Beca by moving to sit next to her at the table, rather than across like she'd been sitting.

"Why did you move?" asked Beca.

"If I sit across from you, I can't do this," said Kommissar.

Before Beca could ask her what she meant, Kommissar took Beca's face in her hands and planted a kiss on her lips. It was Beca's first kiss with another woman. She found it to be far more pleasant than kissing Jesse had ever been.

Just as they were breaking apart, Beca heard a gasp. She turned in the direction of the gasp to see two women walking out the door – a tall brunette and redhead. Beca was positive it was Chloe and Stacie. Beca was upset with Stacie for bringing Chloe here when she knew very well that Beca was on a date. Maybe Chloe _was_ jealous, but she thought it was kind of rotten of Stacie to throw this in Chloe's face. Even though nearly everyone knew Tom was a cheating asshole, she was sure the wound in Chloe's heart was fresh.

"What was that?" asked Kommissar.

"I...just thought I saw someone I knew. It's okay."

The date went pretty well from there. They kissed a few more times, Beca growing increasingly comfortable as things continued.

At the end of the evening, Kommissar invited Beca back to her place.

"I...I...I can't. As hot as I think you are, I can't." _And we're back to the awkward word vomit, _Beca thought.

"Why not?"

"I guess I'm just not ready. I haven't...well..." Beca couldn't bring herself to say she was a virgin, but she hoped the woman got the idea.

"Oh, Tiny Maus. I think you'll find I'm an excellent teacher."

"I'm sure you are," said Beca. "But I'm not ready for that."

"I'll take you home then," said Kommissar.

The ride back was fairly quiet. Beca felt a little bad for turning down the woman's offer, but she just wasn't ready to take that step. It was her first date, and while she liked the woman, she wasn't ready to go beyond kissing.

Kommissar gave Beca another long kiss as she walked her to the door. Just as Beca thought how understanding the woman had been, she felt a hand grab her ass.

Beca jerked her head back and swatted the woman's hand away.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Beca.

"Just giving you an idea of what you are missing, Tiny Maus."

"I told you no."

"Suit yourself," said Kommissar. She walked back to her car while Beca stood in stunned silence.

Beca went inside her dad's house, relieved that he hadn't yet returned from his date with Sheila. She really didn't feel much like talking about her date, especially not with her father. She let Holly outside and then headed to her room with the dog in tow once she let her back inside.

She flopped down on her bed and texted Stacie. She gave her a hard time for bringing Chloe to spy on them. Stacie explained that she'd been taking Chloe to her favorite place, but Beca called her on it immediately. After all, Stacie had been the one to recommend the Thai restaurant. Stacie had confessed that she'd brought Chloe to make her jealous and that it had worked. Beca reminded Stacie that Chloe was still nursing a freshly wounded heart and that she'd likely made her feel worse. Stacie assured her that Chloe had already given her hell for it and she was sorry.

Beca chose not to share how the date had ended with Kommissar. While she knew she'd done nothing wrong, she still felt weird about turning down the woman's offer. She knew she wasn't ready, but the woman's reaction made her feel like she was being immature.

* * *

The next morning, a text arrived from Kommissar while Beca was eating breakfast.

_Crappy Date: Good morning, Tiny Maus  
__Crappy Date: Let me know if you have changed your mind  
__Crappy Date: You'll find I'm an excellent teacher_

Beca rolled her eyes. No way was she going to reply to the woman. She hoped ignoring the woman would send the appropriate message.

Beca took her dad's car and headed to the pet supply store to check on the cats the shelter kept there. She cleaned the litter boxes, replenished the food, changed the water, and played with each of the cats a little. The pet store had quite a few applications to adopt, so Beca collected those before heading to the shelter.

She walked in and heard quite a few wolf whistles from the others. She waved her hands dismissively.

"So, how was your date?" asked CR.

"I don't want to talk about it," said Beca in a low voice.

Stacie's face immediately changed to one of concern. "I'm sorry. I thought it had gone well. Do you want to tell me about it somewhere private?"

Beca nodded. They headed to the exam room because Chloe and Aubrey weren't due to come in until after lunch.

"What happened?" asked Stacie.

"Well, I thought it was going well. And I guess it was, at least throughout dinner." Beca went on to explain that Kommissar had wanted to take her to bed and that she'd told her she wasn't ready.

Stacie patted Beca's arm. "Oh, no. That sucks."

"I feel like such a big baby for saying no. I'm probably the only twenty-year-old virgin alive," she said, tears in her eyes.

"I seriously doubt that," said Stacie. "And she's a jerk for not respecting your wishes."

"She texted me again this morning. She's still pressuring me."

"Have you replied?"

"No. I'm hoping she gets the message."

Throughout the day, Beca continued to get annoying texts from Kommissar. The woman must have gotten a kick out of dating a virgin, and she seemed determined to be Beca's first sexual encounter. Beca continued to ignore the texts, but she got increasingly frustrated every time a new one came in.

Later in the day, after Beca looked another text from the woman, she grumbled as she put her phone back in her pocket.

"She's still bugging you?" asked Stacie.

"Yeah," said Beca. "I should just tell her 'Yes of course I got your text - I'm just ignoring it. Don't make it weird.'"

"Don't bother," said Stacie. "Just block her number."

"I'll give it a little time. If she's still bugging me tomorrow, I'll block her."

* * *

The next morning, there were around twenty-five texts from Kommissar. Beca skimmed through them, and they were all along the same lines as before. She deleted the texts and blocked the woman's number. She wasn't about to continue talking to a crazy person.

Beca walked into the shelter to find everyone making a fuss over CR and Denise. They'd had another ultrasound recently, and they'd finally remembered to bring in pictures to share.

Beca looked at one of the pictures and said, "Oh my goodness, the little one is sucking his or her thumb! I didn't know they did that in the womb!"

"The ultrasound tech said they see it all the time," said Denise.

"That's adorable," said Beca.

As Beca walked out of the main area to get started on litter box duty, Stacie followed her.

"Is your date still pestering you?" asked Stacie.

"Not anymore," said Beca. "I blocked her. She sent twenty-five text messages overnight when I was asleep. Twenty-five! She's nuts!"

"Glad you mostly dodged that bullet."

"Me too," said Beca. "Is Chloe still mad at me?"

"I don't think she ever was. She was mad at me. I had to fess up when I saw how upset she was. She knows it was all my doing. You should call or text her."

"I'll send her a text once I'm done with the litter boxes. I really hope a lot of people adopt cats today. This takes forever!"

Beca didn't have to text Chloe. Just as she was entering the reception area of the shelter, Chloe walked in with a huge grin on her face.

"Beca! Guess what?"

"What?"

"I got approval for Holly's prosthetic leg. Have you talked to your dad yet?"

"No, I haven't. I wanted to give him all the information."

"We'll work on typing up the details later today. The funds will cover everything - the prosthesis, the fitting, the physical therapy."

"Really?"

"They had a very generous donation come in from an anonymous donor."

"That's great! I'm sure he'll say yes!"

"And I'll be happy to help if he needs someone to take Holly somewhere while he's teaching," added Stacie.

"Thanks," said Beca.

"I have to head back to the animal hospital," said Chloe. "I just had to come over here and see if you were working so I could share the news."

"Okay, I'll see you later!" called Beca.

"Bye!" called Chloe.

* * *

The summer was almost over. Beca's dad agreed to the prosthetic leg for Holly. He'd been wondering about it before Beca had even brought up the idea, and the fact that it would be covered by the shelter sealed the deal. Nothing would be ready for Holly for a little while, but Chloe was optimistic that Holly would be walking on four legs by Thanksgiving.

Beca had learned a lot from Aubrey and Chloe, just as she had every summer since she'd decided to become a vet tech. She'd almost completely taken over the vet tech duties for the animals brought into the shelter when Chloe was examining them. Aubrey was always there to offer a helping hand, but she gradually offered less and less assistance. Beca had become a pro at cleaning ears, clipping nails, and taking vitals for animals. The only times she ever really needed assistance was when the animal was fairly large and/or very uncooperative. When Chloe handed Beca the form she'd signed to give Beca academic credit for the summer, she'd attached several copies of a rather glowing recommendation letter.

"What are those for?" asked Beca.

"You finish this December, correct?"

"Yes."

"I wanted to help you. You'll be looking for work, and I want to let any potential employers know what an asset they'll be getting if they hire you."

"Thanks," said Beca, knowing she had to be blushing furiously.

* * *

The night before Beca had to leave to head back to school, she had a dinner date with her father and Sheila.

"So, Beca, I wanted to talk to you about something before we get to the restaurant," said her father.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I'm planning to propose to Sheila," he said.

When Beca didn't initially respond, he added, "Unless you're not okay with it. I love her and I want to marry her, but I won't if it will upset you."

"No, Dad, it's fine. I was just surprised."

"So, I have your blessing?"

"Yes."

Dr. Mitchell let out a breath neither of them realized he'd been holding. "Great," he said. "By the way, whatever happened to that date you had a few weeks ago?"

"Oh, her," said Beca. "It started off well, but it ended badly."

"Too bad, Bec."

"It's okay."

"You know, I always thought you and Chloe would end up dating."

"What?"

"Beca, it's obvious you two like each other."

Beca shrugged. "I don't know, Dad. She just got out of a relationship, and I don't want to start a relationship that's going to be long-distance for most of it."

"You could always move here after graduation."

"Maybe if there's a job available," she said.

"I'll keep my eye out for postings."

They had a nice dinner with Sheila, and Beca was impressed with her dad's heartfelt proposal. She was thrilled for both of them when Sheila happily accepted.

* * *

When it was time to head to the airport to catch her flight back to Seattle, Beca was surprised to hear the doorbell ring.

"Chloe? What are you doing here? I have to head out soon to catch my flight."

"I talked your dad into letting me take you to the airport."

She looked over at her father to see him shoot her a wink.

"Okay," she said. "Let me go get my things."

She gave her dad and her dog hugs goodbye before getting into Chloe's car.

They chatted lightly while heading to the airport. Chloe gave Beca a peck on the cheek after she said goodbye and headed to her car.

Beca put her hand to the cheek Chloe had just kissed. _What just happened? _Beca thought.


	7. The Next Winter

Beca smiled as she checked her grades online one last time. She'd done it! She'd passed all of her classes and had completed her degree. She was excited for her graduation that weekend. Her dad, Sheila, and her friend Stacie would be flying to Seattle for the ceremony. Her mom, with Jesse's help, had booked the party room at Beca's favorite restaurant to celebrate her accomplishment.

As though her friend had been reading her thoughts, a text came in from Stacie.

__Legs: Are you excited about Saturday?__  
__Shrimp: Yup__  
__Shrimp: Checked my grades and I'm good__  
__Legs: Awesome__  
__Legs: I have a kickass graduation present for you__  
__Shrimp: Oh?__  
__Legs: It's a surprise  
Shrimp: Can't wait__

Beca checked her e-mail to make sure she had the correct flight information. She'd planned to pick up everyone from the airport, but her dad said he'd rented a car and a hotel room. While he and Beca's mom were on good terms, he didn't think it would be appropriate to stay in Beca's mother's house with his fiancee, and he didn't want to rely on the use of Beca's mom's car. He said he'd transport Stacie as well.

While Beca was away, her dad, Stacie, and Chloe all made sure to keep her updated on Holly. She'd initially had a lot of difficulty with the prosthetic leg, but the latest video Chloe had sent Beca showed Holly at the dog park, keeping up with the dogs and loving it. Holly and Billie had recently begun having "doggie play dates" and the two had become good friends.

Denise and CR welcomed a little boy named Austin in mid-October. Denise was still on maternity leave, but she'd be returning after the start of the new year. Beca couldn't wait to meet the little guy.

About twenty minutes after Stacie texted Beca to tell her they'd landed safely and were about to leave the airport, Beca heard her doorbell ring. Her mouth dropped open when she opened it and saw who was there to greet her.

Stacie was there, as expected, but Beca was shocked to see that she was accompanied by both Chloe and Aubrey.

"Surprise!" the three women greeted Beca in unison.

"What? How?" asked Beca, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Like your graduation present?" asked Stacie.

"Love it!" exclaimed Beca. The three women wrapped her in a group hug.

"Hello, ladies," said Beca's mom.

"Hi, Mom," said Beca. "This is Stacie and Aubrey, and I'm sure you remember Chloe."

"Of course," said Ellen. "I'm so glad you could all come out for Beca's graduation. I've heard so much about all of you."

"You have?" asked Stacie.

"You three are all Beca has talked about when she's come back from Atlanta for the past few summers," said Ellen. Beca felt her face flush.

"Thank you, Stacie, for being such a great friend when Beca's dad moved to Atlanta. I'm not sure Beca would have enjoyed being so far away from me every summer as much without you. And, Chloe and Aubrey, I know how helpful you two have been with Beca's studies and hands-on experience."

"So, Mom, did you know about this?" asked Beca.

"Stacie got my contact info from your dad about a month ago. She wanted to make sure I could secure graduation tickets for everyone."

"But, where is everyone going to stay? We don't really have room for everyone unless they want to sleep on the floor."

"We got a hotel," said Chloe. "Aubrey and I will stay there and Stacie will stay here in the guest room."

"Are you sure?" asked Beca.

"Oh, totes," said Chloe. "Stacie paid for our flights as your graduation present, so it was the least we could do."

"So, who's watching Holly and Billie?" asked Beca.

"Steven," said Chloe. She showed Beca a picture on her phone of her brother with the dogs. Billie had her head on one side of his lap, and Holly had her head on the other.

"Looks like he's spoiling them."

"I'm not sure they'll want to leave his place."

* * *

Beca went out to eat that evening with her friends, her parents, and her future stepmother. Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie spent a lot of the evening sharing stories about and pictures of the animals from the shelter. Chloe shared pictures of a litter of kittens that had been born from a feral cat they'd managed to trap. The shelter spayed the mother as soon as it was safe and adopted her as a "barn cat." She could live outside and help capture mice for a farm. The kittens were young enough to be adopted as normal pets, but the mother wouldn't be able to live as a family pet.

Franky and Rosie had recently both been adopted to loving families. They'd found another dog recently that they'd named Lucky because she was just that. Someone had reported a dog being chained in a yard for too long. The collar had been too small for her and it had caused severe injuries to her neck. Steven immediately contacted Chloe, who was able to perform surgery to help repair her neck, and she'd healed well enough to be released for adoption about six weeks later. She'd been adopted within days.

After things wrapped up for the evening, everyone headed back for the night - Chloe, Aubrey, Dr. Mitchell, and Sheila to their hotel rooms, and Beca, Stacie, and her mom to Beca's mom's house. Beca had just gotten into pajamas and was about to go to bed when she heard a soft knock at her door.

"Come in," she called.

"Hey, Beca," said Stacie.

"Hey, what's up?"

"We haven't talked much since you got back. Can we talk for a while?"

"I always have time for you," said Beca. She sat on her bed and patted the area next to her. "Have a seat."

"How have things been?"

"Pretty good since I'm graduating tomorrow!"

"Well, yeah, I know. I meant with your love life."

"It's been okay. It's not like I haven't been on dates. And I even kind of had a girlfriend."

"And, when were you going to tell me that?"

"Dude, I don't tell you everything."

"Well, now I want details. Spill it."

"I joined Tinder."

"You did?"

Beca shrugged. "It was a dare from my roommate."

Stacie simply raised an eyebrow in response.

"My first date went fine, but she never called me. I tried contacting her afterward, but she never responded. No idea what went wrong, but whatever. Anyway, the second girl I dated was pretty good, but there was no spark or anything. The third girl I dated was Alex."

"Wait, Alex is a girl?"

"Yes."

"And she was your girlfriend?"

"Kind of. I guess."

"I thought Alex was a guy and you studied together."

"Well, we did study together. Sometimes."

"Do you have a picture?" asked Stacie. Beca flipped through her phone and pulled up a selfie Alex had taken on their second or third date. Beca was smiling next to a woman with long brown hair and light blue eyes with an athletic build who appeared to be a few inches taller than Beca. "Cute. So, what happened?"

"We dated for a month, and I really liked her. But I found out she was moving back to Canada after graduation."

"It's not like that's the other side of the world."

"She's from Prince Edward Island, which is way on the east coast. Too far from here, and too far from Atlanta. We talked a little about trying a long-distance relationship, but we agreed that it was best we just stay friends."

"So, did she break you in for Chloe?"

Beca's face flushed. "What? No."

"Seriously?"

"I didn't sleep with her. She knew I was inexperienced, and she didn't push me."

"That's good. Kommissar could take a page out of her book."

"Yeah," said Beca.

"Did you know Chloe hasn't dated anyone since Tom?"

"No."

"She hasn't. I bet she's hung up on you."

Beca shrugged.

"You don't see it?"

"I didn't say that."

"So, then you __do __see it?"

Beca waited for a beat too long to reply. As Beca opened her mouth to speak, Stacie asked, "Okay, what happened after she dropped you off at the airport?"

"You know about that?"

"I do now. So something __did__ happen?" asked Stacie, grinning ear to ear.

"I guess."

"Come on, Mitchell, out with it."

"Fine," said Beca, sighing and rolling her eyes. "She kissed me on the cheek just after she said goodbye."

"And?"

"And, that's it. She kissed me on the cheek as she was leaving. I stood there at the airport with my hand on my cheek wondering what the hell just happened for a good minute or so before remembering to get my ass through security so I didn't miss my flight."

"So, you two didn't talk about it?"

"No. What was I supposed to do? Text her and thank her? That seems weird."

"You could have turned around and asked her why she did that."

"I was afraid to. What if it was a mistake or something? And, honestly, I think I stood there frozen too long to get her attention had I summoned the courage anyway."

"I doubt it was a mistake. I totally caught her staring at your ass when you got up from the table at dinner."

"Oh," said Beca. She yawned. "Okay, Stacie, I need to get to bed. I don't want to be bleary-eyed for the ceremony."

"Goodnight, Beca," said Stacie.

"Goodnight, Stacie."

Beca was genuinely tired, but she was also growing rather uneasy from the conversation. She was thrilled to have Chloe and Aubrey there for her graduation. She felt that she had them to thank for it, at least in part. She was sure their assistance had helped tremendously with her classes.

* * *

The graduation ceremony was a blur, much like Beca's high school graduation had been. There had been a speaker, but Beca found the man to be very boring. She grinned when she heard Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey cheering loudly as she received her diploma. She took a ton of pictures with everyone after the ceremony, and then it was time to head to the restaurant for her party.

The graduation party was a little overwhelming for Beca. She wasn't used to being around a bunch of people at once, and she disliked being the center of attention. She managed to graciously thank each of her guests for coming to celebrate her achievement. She felt fortunate that most people were more interested in food once it was served so she wasn't forced to answer a bunch of questions. It was frustrating for her because she hadn't yet secured a job, and she wasn't even sure where she was going to live. Both of her parents said that she was welcome to live with them until she got on her feet financially, so she'd decided to look in both Seattle and Atlanta.

She was sitting at a table with Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie catching up on the past few months when she heard a familiar voice call, "Beca! Congratulations! Come here!"

She gave the woman a hug and said, "Alex? I didn't see you come in."

"I just got here. Couldn't miss your big party."

"Thanks for coming. This is Stacie, Chloe, and Aubrey. Guys, this is Alex."

"Hi," said Alex. "I'm going to go get some food. I'll be back in a few!"

Beca noticed Chloe and Aubrey exchange a few glances. She waited to see if either one of them would ask her more about Alex, and she was surprised that neither one did.

Before Beca could decide what to do or say, a few other family members came over to congratulate her. She followed them to their table.

After she'd taken pictures and visited with that group of cousins, she headed back to the table where she'd been sitting with her friends.

"Okay, Beca, what isn't Stacie telling us?" asked Chloe.

Beca decided to play dumb. "About what?"

"Alex," Aubrey and Chloe said in unison.

"What makes you think there's something to tell?" asked Beca.

"Because Stacie refuses to say a word about her. That means she knows something," said Chloe.

"Come on, Beca," said Aubrey.

Beca sighed. "She was sort of my girlfriend for about a month."

"Sort of? What does that mean?" asked Aubrey.

"We were dating."

"Were you exclusive?" asked Aubrey.

"Yes."

"That's not 'sort of' a girlfriend," said Chloe.

"She's right," said Aubrey. "That's a girlfriend."

"If you say so," said Beca.

"But, you're not together anymore, then?" asked Chloe.

"No. We're still good friends, obviously, and we care about each other. But, no, my heart wasn't in it for the long haul and neither was hers."

Beca was sure she saw Chloe visibly relax at that statement.

"Why didn't you tell me Alex was your girlfriend?" asked Chloe. "I didn't even know Alex was a woman."

"I don't know," said Beca, looking down. __Because I didn't want you to be jealous, __thought Beca. While Stacie seemed to get a kick out of making Chloe jealous, Beca didn't.

Beca was saved from further questions when Alex asked to join their table.

"Okay, let me see if I have everyone right," said Alex.

She gestured to Chloe. "You're the vet, right?" Chloe nodded.

She gestured to Aubrey. "You're the tech?" Aubrey nodded. "Beca told me all about how helpful you two have been with showing her the ropes."

She gestured to Stacie. "And that means you are her neighbor when she stays with her dad?" Stacie nodded.

"I've heard a lot about all of you!"

"Well, we haven't heard much about you," said Aubrey. "Except that you're from Canada, right?"

"Yes. I graduated too. So I'm heading back home soon so I can be home for Christmas."

The rest of the party went pretty well. Everyone got along, and Beca managed to spend at least some time with every guest. She'd even gotten used to being the center of attention by the end of the party.

* * *

Beca heard a knock at her bedroom door shortly after she'd gotten into her pajamas.

"Come in."

Stacie came in. "Hey."

"What's up?"

"Alex is cute."

"You told me that when you saw her picture."

"I liked her. I didn't want to like her, but I did."

"Why didn't you want to like her?"

"Because I'm tired of watching you and Chloe dance around each other. I have no idea which one of you is a more oblivious idiot."

"Hey!"

"Come on, Beca."

"I admitted I liked her the first summer I met her."

"But you haven't done a damn thing about it."

Beca rolled her eyes. "I haven't really had the opportunity. I was going to ask her out when she came to visit me for spring break, but she was already dating that douchebag. She dumped him, but I ended up on that date with Kommissar. She was still grieving the end of her relationship with Tom anyway."

"But, what about now?" asked Stacie.

"I can't," said Beca. "I don't even know where I'm going to live."

"Wait, are both parents kicking you out?"

"No, that's not what I mean." Beca explained that both of her parents had offered to let her live with them after graduation. They knew it would take time to find a job and get on her feet.

"So, you're looking in both Atlanta and Seattle?"

"Yeah."

"And, your first choice?"

"You mean, all things being otherwise equal?"

"Yeah. If you had two job offers for about the same salary and benefits, where would you go?"

"Atlanta," said Beca, without hesitation.

"I figured. Have to get your girl."

"Okay, I'll admit it. Chloe is part of the reason, but so are you and Aubrey. And Holly. But, aside from that, I haven't lived with my dad for longer than a summer since my parents divorced. My mom's had me nine months of the year for the past ten years. I think it's about time I spend more time with my dad."

"Does your mom know?"

"I told her. I'm not entirely sure she understands, but she isn't standing in my way."

"That's good."

"Please don't tell Chloe and Aubrey that I'm trying to move to Atlanta full-time. I still don't know what's going to happen, and I don't want to get their hopes up."

"Okay. I won't."

They chatted a bit before heading to bed. It had been a really long day.

The next morning, Beca opened her presents from the graduation party. Most of the presents were money, something Beca was grateful to have. She knew she'd need to save as much as she could in order to get her own place once she'd secured a job. Stacie helped her keep track of the gifts so Beca could write thank-you notes. Beca wanted to just e-mail most of the guests, but her mother insisted everyone receive a handwritten thank-you note. Beca tried reminding her mother what a disaster her handwriting was, but she'd hear none of it.

Beca laughed when she opened Aubrey's gift. It was a tote bag that said, "I am a nurse, a janitor, a teacher, a groomer, a nutritionist, an x-ray tech, a phlebotomist, a grief counselor, a dental hygienist, a surgical technologist, a pharmacist, & an anesthesiologist. I AM A VET TECH." Inside the bag were three scrubs outfits - one black, one maroon, and one in dark purple.

Chloe gave her a pair of black Dansko clogs. She'd included a handwritten note.

__I know these aren't glamorous, but they're the comfiest shoes ever for running around the clinic all day. Hope you enjoy. __

__Love, Chloe__

She'd also included a few different pairs of socks with different animals on them.

Beca immediately tried the shoes on with a pair of socks with dogs on them and sent a picture to Chloe. Not surprisingly, her friend had guessed her shoe size perfectly.

__Hot Vet: Lookin' good  
Future Vet Tech: Thanks__

Stacie gave her a lab coat with her name embroidered on it with CVT after it.

* * *

Christmas and New Year's came and went. Beca began a more serious job hunt, knowing that a lot of companies didn't do much business during the holidays. She pored over many different job sites, but just about everyone wanted veterinary technicians with at least a few years of experience on the job. Beca groaned in frustration as she looked at the different positions open.

"No luck today?" asked her mom as she popped her head into Beca's room to say goodbye before heading to work.

"Nope," said Beca. "Everyone wants someone with experience. How am I supposed to get experience if nobody will give me a chance?"

"I'm sure you'll find something soon," she said.

"Thanks, Mom."

It had been an entire week of job hunting in two cities. Beca was annoyed that she'd had yet to find a single job ad for an entry-level veterinary technician. She'd applied to a few that had said a certain number of years experience "preferred." She hadn't gotten a single response.

She shut her laptop and let out a huge sigh. Just then, she got a text from Stacie.

__Legs: Still job hunting__  
__Shrimp: No I found a job, I just didn't tell you__  
__Legs: WTF?__  
__Shrimp: I was being sarcastic__  
__Legs: Oh__  
__Shrimp: Having a rough time  
Legs: I found something for you__

Stacie went on to explain that the shelter was hiring a full-time vet tech. They would soon be merging with the animal hospital where Chloe and Aubrey worked. They were starting with a spay and neuter clinic, but they'd planned to create a wellness clinic that would offer low-cost vaccines, microchipping, nail trimming, and routine vet exams in the near future. It was a real full-time job with benefits and everything. She'd be employed by the animal hospital, but she'd be working at the shelter. Beca made Stacie promise she wouldn't breathe a word to Chloe or Aubrey about applying for the job. She couldn't take their disappointment if she didn't get hired. She decided it was up to Stacie how she'd handle it if either one asked.

Beca applied for the job through the link Stacie sent her. She was thrilled when she got a reply the same day asking to schedule an interview. She explained that she was not currently living in Atlanta but that she'd be in the area the following week. She knew her dad would be thrilled to have her, and she was also aware that Chloe and Aubrey would be in Portland that week. The director of their children's choir was retiring, and there were a ton of special events and reunions planned for past members of the group.

* * *

The following week, Beca was in her room at her dad's, dressed nicely in a pressed blouse and dress pants. Stacie came by to pick her up and take her to the interview.

"Ready?" asked Stacie as Beca answered the door.

"Yes, just let me get my bag," said Beca. She grabbed the tote bag Aubrey had given her as a gift.

"What's in the bag?"

"The lab coat you gave me, a stethoscope, a set of scrubs, the shoes Chloe bought me, and a pair of socks. I looked online and a lot of people suggested bringing scrubs in case the interview ends up becoming a working interview."

"Good thinking," said Stacie. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah."

"Don't be. You know what you're doing."

"I just hope they agree with you."

"Relax. You're awesome."

"Thanks."

Beca was pretty quiet during the car ride. She barely murmured "Thanks" to Stacie as she exited the car. She took a deep breath before entering the animal hospital.

She walked in, set her face in the most confident expression she could muster and told the receptionist her name and that she was there for an interview with Dr. Schmitt.

Beca remembered to introduce herself and shake hands with Dr. Schmitt. She handed her a copy of her résumé as well as a copy of Chloe's letter of recommendation.

"Beca, I've heard a lot about you. Dr. Beale has been gushing about your abilities for the past two summers," said Dr. Schmitt.

"Thank you," said Beca.

The interview went pretty smoothly after that. Beca talked about the different things she'd learned when volunteering at the shelter as well as her experience as the owner of Holly. Dr. Schmitt was very familiar with the dog as she'd become a patient of the animal hospital when Beca's father adopted her.

Just as it seemed they were wrapping up, a vet tech that Beca hadn't met ran into the room.

"Dr. Schmitt, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have an emergency. It's an HBC. It's one of Dr. Beale's patients - Fred. It looks pretty bad."

"Beca, I'm sorry I have to stop here. I'll be in touch soon."

Beca mustered up courage she didn't know she had and asked, "Do you want some help? I brought some scrubs. I know you're a little short-staffed with Aubrey and Dr. Beale out of town."

Dr. Schmitt looked at Beca for a moment before saying, "Sure. If you don't mind."

Beca excused herself to change into her scrubs. She met the vet in the exam room. She helped write down notes while Dr. Schmitt and the tech - a woman named Ashley - took care of Fred. He was a small dog, some kind of mutt. He'd been hit by a car. He had a broken leg and needed stitches for another wound. Beca assisted the team in very much the same way she'd assisted Chloe and Aubrey for the past two summers.

Once Fred was stabilized, Dr. Schmitt said. "Congratulations, Beca. You got yourself a job. I was hoping we could open the clinic on Monday, and it looks like we can do that, assuming you can start then. Can you start at the shelter that morning?"

"Absolutely. Thank you very much! And, I know this might sound weird, but can you keep this from Aubrey and Dr. Beale? I'd really like to surprise them."

"Of course. I'll just let them know we hired a tech, but I won't say who it was." Dr. Schmitt gave Beca a smile that she could only describe as conspiratorial. __I wonder if she knows I have a crush on Chloe, __she thought.

She texted Stacie to come and pick her up. When Stacie arrived, she looked at Beca for a minute. Beca hadn't bothered to change out of her scrubs, and she was sure she was a mess.

"What happened?" asked Stacie.

"There was an emergency at the tail end of my interview. I somehow had the guts to offer to help, and I think it kind of turned into a working interview. Oh, and by the way, I got the job!"

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks. And, before you ask, no, you can't tell Chloe and Aubrey. I want to surprise them when I start on Monday."

"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!"

* * *

It was Monday morning. Beca was full of nerves and excitement. Stacie graciously agreed to drive her. Beca's dad had offered to let her use the car, but she said she was too nervous to drive. She was dressed in her black scrubs, her cat socks, and her Dansko clogs. Her lab coat, stethoscope, and an extra set of scrubs were packed in her tote bag. She took a deep breath before exiting the car.

She walked into the shelter and was immediately met with hugs from Denise and CR.

"We're so glad you're the tech for the new spay and neuter clinic," said CR.

"Me too," said Beca. "Now, let me see some pictures of that baby of yours!"

Denise happily opened up a bunch of pictures on her phone to show Beca.

"Oh my goodness, look at those big brown eyes and those chubby cheeks!" said Beca. CR and Denise simply beamed back. Beca checked the time on her watch. "Okay, I'd better get into the clinic. Remember, not a word to Chloe or Aubrey that I'm here!"

Stacie, CR, and Denise made the "zipped lips" motion across their mouths.

Beca walked into the room that had just been renovated and declared to be the new spay and neuter clinic. Shortly after she'd gotten into the room and had set up her things, she heard Chloe and Aubrey talking in the main lobby of the shelter. She heard CR telling them that the new tech had already arrived.

The looks on Chloe and Aubrey's faces were priceless when they entered the room and saw Beca.

"It's you?" asked Chloe.

"Surprise!" exclaimed Beca.

She saw Aubrey turn around toward CR, Denise, and Stacie, all of whom were watching the interaction. "Wait, did you guys know about this?" she asked.

"Yup," said Stacie, looking smug.

"So, you're really the new hire?" asked Chloe.

"I am," said Beca.

"So, you live here now?" asked Aubrey.

"Yes," said Beca. "I moved in with my dad. I came here for the interview last week, and they hired me. My mom shipped a bunch of my stuff, and I'm all moved in now."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Chloe.

"I wanted to surprise you," said Beca.

"Well, you certainly surprised me," said Chloe. "Let me treat you to lunch on your first day."

"You don't have to," said Beca.

"I insist."

Beca grinned. "Well, okay, then. But you pick the place."

"The Original Pancake House. I think this occasion calls for celebratory pancakes."

"Works for me."

"Great," said Chloe. "I'll drive us as soon as we can break for lunch."

Things went pretty well for the opening day at the clinic. Many of the pet owners already had the necessary forms with them - a disclaimer, their pet's medical history, and vaccination records. The clinic would provide rabies and distemper vaccinations if needed as part of the cost of the surgery. Beca gave a few vaccines to the animals who had not yet received them, and she assisted Aubrey with the surgery preparations. They were able to break for lunch right on schedule.

Beca thought Aubrey would be joining them for lunch, but Aubrey had insisted on eating with Stacie, Denise, and CR.

Beca and Chloe sat down at a table at The Original Pancake House.

"This place is so cute! How did I not know about this?" asked Beca.

"Beats me," said Chloe. "But, now that you're living in Atlanta for the foreseeable future, I'm making it my mission to make sure you know about all of the good places."

"Sounds good."

After ordering their food, Beca heard Chloe clear her throat.

"So, I have a confession to make," said Chloe. "I didn't just ask you to lunch for celebratory pancakes."

Beca sat and simply waited for Chloe to finish her thought.

"I wanted...I mean, I...would you…" Chloe stammered.

Beca smirked. "For someone with, what was it, an IQ of almost 300? You kind of suck at forming sentences."

Chloe playfully smacked Beca on the arm. "Stop," she said, clearing her throat again. "I asked you to lunch so I could ask you out. On a date."

"Is that why Aubrey didn't join us?"

"Yeah. She knows me well enough that she didn't even ask what I was planning. So, about the date?"

"Right. I'd love to."

Chloe's uneasy expression rapidly changed to a wide grin. She let out a breath. "That was easier than I thought."

"Oh?" asked Beca.

"I never asked anyone out before."

"Well, neither have I."

Their food arrived just then. They chatted over their meal about the plans for the wellness clinic.

"I think this is really going to help. Less overpopulation, sick animals, and all that," said Chloe.

"And I'm glad because I finally got a job," said Beca. "I should let you in on a secret, though."

"What's that?"

"Atlanta was my first choice when I was looking for jobs. I wanted to spend more time with my dad, but I'd be lying if I said that being closer to you wasn't a huge part of my reason."

"Well, I'm glad," said Chloe.

Before they left the restaurant, the two made plans to go on their first date that Friday night.

As they pulled up to the shelter in Chloe's car, Beca felt a hand on her arm before she exited the car. She turned to face Chloe.

"Before we go in, there's one more thing I wanted to do," said Chloe.

"What?"

"This," Chloe said as she gently cupped Beca's cheek and kissed her. Beca quickly reciprocated the kiss. Just as she was really relaxing into it, she heard a loud wolf whistle that made the two of them break apart. They turned toward the sound to see CR, grinning at the two of them.

CR said, "I never thought I'd feel lucky it was my turn to take the trash out."

Beca and Chloe walked into the shelter, hand in hand.

As they entered the shelter, CR exclaimed, "Hand me the envelope. I win!"

"You win what?" asked Chloe.

"We've been placing bets on when you two hopeless morons would finally get together," said CR. "I had all of this week, and I just saw you two playing tonsil hockey in Chloe's car. I win, fair and square." She pulled a calendar out of the desk drawer. Different names were written on various dates.

"You know, I'm not even mad I lost," said Stacie. "I don't know how much longer I'd have been able to stand watching the two of you."

"Watching us...what?" asked Beca.

Stacie rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you should see the two of you. Anyone with eyes and half a brain cell knows you two have been into each other for a long time, probably since the day you met."

"Stacie, I told you that in confidence!" exclaimed Beca. She immediately realized what she'd just told everyone at the shelter and felt her face grow hot.

"So, you've liked me for how long?" asked Chloe.

"Since sometime that first summer," said Beca, quietly.

"Oh, man, we are so stupid," said Chloe, laughing. "I think I've liked you for just as long." She moved toward Beca, staring at her lips.

"Break it up, you two," said Aubrey. "We're never going to get any work done if you two start that. You dorks can kiss later."

"Aubrey!" exclaimed Chloe.

"I'm just teasing you guys," said Aubrey. "But, we really do need to get back to the clinic. Our next appointment is in about five minutes."

Chloe gave Beca a quick peck on the lips, resulting in a fair amount of laughter from the others.

"Let's get back to work."

Beca stood frozen for a moment, her head reeling from the unexpected kiss. "Right, work," she said, following Chloe and Aubrey back to the clinic.

__I'm so glad Stacie talked me into helping her at the shelter a few summers ago, __she thought.

**THE END**

A/N: Full prompt: Person A starts volunteering at an animal shelter far away during summer. Person B works with the (ASPCA or whatever like it) and is often the one to bring in found animals. Person A and B often work together with the newly brought in dogs/cats/etc. and bond over them. The two obviously like one another but are too damn oblivious and shy to act on it.  
When the end of summer is near A has to go home but promises to return next year.  
A returns every summer until they one day surprise attack B mid-January to reveal they started working there full time.  
Bonus: all their colleagues have a betting pool as to how long it takes for them to get together.  
Bonus+: puppies and kittens and more.


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Ten Years Later_

Beca and Chloe Mitchell-Beale had just gotten the kids settled into bed for the evening. Beca was on the couch in the family room choosing a television show for the two of them to watch when Chloe walked into the room, two glasses of wine in her hand.

"What's this for?" asked Beca.

"You don't know what today is?" asked Chloe.

"Wait," said Beca, holding up a finger. She looked at the calendar on her cell phone. "Of course I know what today is. The tenth anniversary of our first date. How could I forget?"

Chloe chuckled. "We have been a little busy lately," she said.

"That much is true," said Beca. "Worth it for sure."

That afternoon, they'd been in family court. They had just made the adoption of their second child, Hailey, official. They'd been fostering the little girl for the past year. She was the biological younger half-sister to their first child, Patrick. They'd begun fostering Patrick as soon as he'd been released from the hospital as a newborn. His mother had apparently walked into the hospital to give birth, high as a kite, and the Division of Family and Child Services had taken him away. He'd spent a good bit of time in a children's hospital on detox, and he hadn't shown any serious after-effects. After a year in their care, his mother signed over parental rights, and Patrick was theirs. Three years later, the division called Beca and Chloe to tell them the same mother had delivered a little girl, still on drugs, and they'd done almost the same thing with her.

Patrick had a mild speech delay and received speech services in the pre-kindergarten program at the local elementary school. Hailey seemed to be on track with her milestones thus far, but the early intervention program still came to their home or her daycare on a monthly basis to check for any problems.

Beca and Chloe were still working together at the animal shelter. Chloe was at the shelter's wellness clinic full-time, and Beca still frequently assisted her wife with exams and spays and neuters. Beca had worried when they married that they'd dislike working together, but it had been nearly seven years with very few problems.

Billie the dog was still around, but she was fifteen years old now. She'd adjusted surprisingly well to the children, much to the surprise of both women. They'd since taken in a cat as well, a calico named Phoebe that had been surrendered due to the owners moving to assisted living. She wasn't as tolerant of the children, usually choosing to hide to avoid having her eyes poked or her tail pulled.

Holly was still living the good life with Beca's dad and Sheila, who was now her stepmother. They'd married about six months before Beca and Chloe. She received a ton of attention for her prosthetic leg, especially because it was bright purple in color, but her sweet disposition soon made people forget there was anything different about her.

Beca lifted her wine glass toward Chloe. "A toast," she said. "To ten years with the woman I love."

"Cheers," said Chloe as they clinked glasses. She began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" asked Beca.

"I was just thinking about how stupid we were," said Chloe. "We'd be celebrating at least another year or two if we both hadn't been so dense."

"I still can't believe they had a betting pool," said Beca.

"You remember our first date, don't you?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah," said Beca, sighing. "I didn't even know Atlanta had a streetcar. And I guess nobody else did either because we were the only ones on it!"

"Good thing," said Chloe. "I recall a certain driver clearing his throat a few times."

"That's because your tongue was down mine," said Beca.

"You started it," said Chloe.

"Guilty."

* * *

_Ten Years Ago_

"_So, what are we doing?" asked Beca._

"_You'll see."_

_They'd walked into the Peachtree Center Station. Beca was surprised Chloe was taking public transit on their date, but she'd told Chloe she was fine with whatever she'd picked. Beca was just so happy to finally be going on a date with the woman that she would have agreed to go grocery shopping together if that's what she'd picked._

_Chloe grabbed Beca's hand and pulled her toward the streetcar. "What's this?" asked Beca._

"_Atlanta Streetcar. You've never been there?"_

"_I didn't even know we had one," said Beca._

"_Yeah, most people don't. I hope we have it to ourselves."_

_As soon as they discovered they were alone, they began kissing. A few tentative pecks quickly escalated to a full-on makeout session. They didn't even hear the driver announce they'd come to the first stop until he'd cleared his throat and asked, "Are you two stopping here or are you going to make out some more?"_

"_We'll be making out until the next stop, thanks!" called Chloe. Beca felt her face grow hot as she playfully smacked Chloe on the arm._

"_Relax," whispered Chloe. "I doubt this is the first time he's had to interrupt a makeout session."_

"_Shut up," said Beca._

"_So, you want to stop?" asked Chloe._

"_No," said Beca. _

* * *

"That was a good time," said Beca.

"Sure was," said Chloe. The two of them settled into a fairly comfortable silence as they cuddled together on the couch, watching television.

Just as they were heading to bed, they heard Hailey cry. "I got her," said Beca. "You go let Billie out, and I'll be in as soon as I have Hailey settled."

"Hey, Hailey Girl," said Beca. "Mama's here." The little girl smiled at her with big brown eyes. Beca lifted her out of the crib. As she saw a ton of drool coming out of the one-year-old's mouth, Beca immediately knew what was wrong.

"You getting a new tooth, aren't you Baby Girl?" She took a look and saw swollen gums in her daughter's mouth. She grabbed some Baby Orajel off the shelf by the changing table.

"Here you go," she said as she gently rubbed some on her gums. She changed Hailey's diaper and then began to rock her in the rocking chair and sing to her.

_You are my sunshine  
__My only sunshine  
__You make me happy  
__When skies are gray  
__You'll never know, dear,  
__How much I love you  
__Please don't take my sunshine away_

Hailey was asleep, so Beca gently laid her down in her crib. "Goodnight, my sweet girl," said Beca.

Beca turned around and was surprised to find her wife standing in the doorway. "Nice song," said Chloe.

"You heard the whole thing?"

"Yup."

"I'm so glad she's ours. I love our life and our family."

"Me too."

"When was the last time I thanked Stacie for convincing me to volunteer with her at the animal shelter?"

Chloe laughed. "I think it was last week when she stopped by with her dog for a checkup."

"Well, I really need to thank her again."

"How about I give you a little more motivation?" asked Chloe, eyes darkening.

"Sounds good," said Beca. "Happy dating anniversary, Chloe."

"Happy dating anniversary, Beca."


End file.
